The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of the Netherlord
by Maria Seinheart
Summary: An ancient race emerges 5 years after the defeat of Malefor, hell bent on destroying the dragon race, especially a particular purple dragon. With a more sinister darkness spreading, Spyro and Cynder must stop the Netherlord and his army.
1. Chapter 1

**The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of Nether Lord**

**Chapter 1: A New Darkness**

**It has been 5 long years since Malefor's defeat. Spyro and Cynder led quite peaceful lives. They have fun together, slept together, ate together and did almost anything together. The dragon elders were having some good times too and everything was bliss. The threat once posed by the Dark Master Malefor has been erased for good…or has it?**

**On the other side of the world, trouble has been brewing ever since Malefor's demise. Not many knew about it because the situation didn't seem dangerous at that time. However, the emergence of more undeads near the Epicenter, a hole that was never covered after the world came back together, proved to be a bad omen. Rumors emerged that the Epicenter led directly to the Netherworld and Convexity and the existence of the undead has proved the rumor to be true.**

**Following the rising of such rumors, the dragon elders assembled a team of scouts to investigate the Epicenter. They never returned after that and the last message the elders got was concerning a rapid spreading of dark purple crystals along with rarer red ones. All of them were found growing outwards from the Epicenter itself. Concerned that this has to do with Malefor, the elders sent Spyro and Cynder to the Epicenter. The young dragons were not aware of what is waiting for them.**

"**Cynder, wait for me!" Spyro called out. "You're flying too fast!"**

"**Oh c'mon Spyro, don't tell me you can't outrun a girl," Cynder mocked.**

"**We're not here to play catch, Cynder. Terrador has an important mission for us," Spyro said as he caught up.**

"**I'm feeling rather lazy now. We have so much fun these 5 years and now they're pulling us out from our holiday to investigate something evil," Cynder complained. "It sucks."**

"**Evil never seems to quit even when you defeat them a few times. Just makes you wonder if there will ever be an end to it," Spyro said.**

"**Well, with so many potentials for evil to rise again, I doubt we can have eternal peace," Cynder shrugged and looked behind her before looking front again.**

"**If Malefor is behind this, I'll make sure he stays dead permanently. He'll threaten more lives if he lives," Spyro said.**

"**Indeed," replied Cynder.**

**As they flew past the Valley of Avalar, Chief Prowlus waved to them, beckoning them to come down.**

"**Spyro, Cynder, thank the ancestors you have passed by here. I have some news for you," the feline said as the two dragons landed down.**

"**What do you have in store?" Cynder asked.**

"**I have some scouts who went to investigate the Epicenter and they have found more and more undeads rushing out from that hole. They were busy harvesting the crystals and breaking them apart," Prowlus said quickly.**

"**Slow down Prowlus, there is no need to rush. What next?" Spyro asked inquisitively.**

**Chief Prowlus took a deep breath and exhaled. "My scouts noted that blue spirits of an unknown race were released as the crystals broke open. They possessed any living creature and turned them into mindless animals with a thirst for blood," he said more slowly this time.**

"**Maybe that explains why there are attacks on anyone that ventured into forested areas. So where are your scouts?" the purple dragon asked.**

"**I'm not sure but I fear the worst. They have not returned and there have been no contacts since I received the last message from them. I have sent Hunter to check things out but he has yet to inform me of anything," Prowlus replied. "I called you down because I need your help to check and see if Hunter is still alive," he continued.**

"**That can be easily done. How do I contact you if I find him?" Spyro asked.**

"**Use this crystal. It can act as a contact device as well as a light emitter. The place you're traveling to is a dark realm so you need some light," Prowlus said and he handed two small crystals to Spyro and Cynder.**

"**If there is nothing else, we'll be on our way," Cynder said.**

"**Of course, you are free to leave. Be careful if you near the Epicenter, my scouts also say a dark fortress is being built," Prowlus whispered.**

**The two waved a hand of goodbye to Prowlus and took to the skies. The two flew among the clouds and barrel rolled as they played with each other happily. The land beneath them was lush green and they occasionally saw villages and cities. The Great River ran beneath them and it was said to branch to the Silver River. The Great River was a very long river that originated from the Mountains of Kaderah and the river flowed from the mountains to the Shining Oceans 500 miles away. **

**Spyro loved the scenery and he can't imagine such scenery being destroyed. It would be unthinkable. Cynder tapped Spyro's shoulder and pointed a finger downwards.**

"**Look Spyro, it's the Great River Riders," she said excitedly.**

**Spyro looked down and smiled. The Great River Riders were a group of daredevil cheetahs looking for a canoeing challenge in the more rapid side of the Great River. They were great warriors but they rather do stunts than fight. As the dragons flew by, one of the Riders looked up and waved to them.**

**The two waved back and went on. Since they can't reach the Epicenter within a day, they landed near a tropical forest which the Great River also ran through. They rested near the place and set up a place to stay for the night.**

"**Hey Spyro, this reminds me of the camping trip we had with the moles. Remember the time when Mason overcooked his food?" Cynder asked with a chuckle.**

"**Yeah, he was like 'Did you smell something on fire?' and Volteer was like 'I'll save your food!'" Spyro joked while imitating Mason and Volteer's voices.**

**Cynder laughed and revealed a nice pair of teeth. "It was merely an excuse to snatch away Mason's food," she replied with a laugh.**

"**I didn't know Volteer had a liking for earthworms," Spyro muttered.**

"**Heck no, he thought they were noodles. Makes me wonder if he has problem with his eyesight," Cynder said. "The 'noodles' were moving and he didn't even notice it," she continued with a small chuckle.**

**Spyro stared at Cynder's eyes which seemed to sparkle. Cynder's heart skipped a beat or two when she saw him staring at her like that.**

"**S-Spyro, why are you staring at me?" she asked nervously.**

"**I'm just mesmerized by your beautiful eyes," he replied softly.**

"**Your eyes are just as beautiful," Cynder said softly.**

**Spyro placed a paw over her face. Their lips got closer, about to kiss when a bush nearby rustled. The two suddenly snapped to attention and went into a defensive stance.**

"**Stay here Cynder, I'll go chech it out," Spyro whispered with caution.**

**Cynder nodded but did not let down her guard. Spyro got closer to the rustling bush, ready to pounce on the intruder. However, before he could look into the bush, a cheetah walked out of it. Spyro let out a scream of startle and the cheetah did so as he was also startled. Cynder just froze in shock but recovered quickly.**

"**Hunter, is that you?" Spyro asked.**

"**Spyro? What a pleasant surprise. I was just finding my way back," Hunter said.**

**His face was full of scars and a few sword wounds were visible over his skin. He had one eye bandaged and one wrist wrapped up. He looked terrible.**

"**Whoa Hunter, you look like a mess. What happened?" Cynder asked.**

"**I was in enemy territory, trying to gain some intelligence on these undeads but I was spotted and they went after me. I've been on the run for two days and those boneheads are relentless. I managed to lose them but they had a few hits on me," Hunter said in a voice that indicated that he was controlling the pain.**

"**Chief Prowlus was worried because you have not contacted him," Spyro said.**

"**My crystal was shattered as an arrow flew at me. It hit the crystal that was hanging on my neck. If it weren't for it, I would have died," Hunter explained.**

**He took a sit and let out a sigh. Spyro offered him some roasted lamb and Hunter accepted it. He gobbled down the food and licked his fingers.**

"**Ah, that was satisfying," he said with a satisfied smile.**

**He lay back on a tree and remained silent.**

"**Hunter, should we escort you home?" Cynder offered.**

"**You two out here alone means that you two are on a mission. I'd rather walk back myself since I don't want to trouble you. You should contact Chief Prowlus for me and inform him that I'm safe. The undeads are not after me anymore so I won't have to be afraid of anything," Hunter said.**

"**It's a long walk back to Avalar," Cynder said.**

"**I can manage it," Hunter said confidently. "All I need now is some rest," he said and slowly closed his eyes. Moments later, he was snoring.**

"**Let's not bother him. I think we should turn in for the night as well," Cynder whispered.**

"**Agreed," Spyro nodded.**

**The two cuddled up and kept each other warm. Spyro used his left wing to cover Cynder and keep her warm. Cynder smiled and went to sleep. Spyro stroked her head and after a few minutes, he too dozed off into the Realm of Dreams. The night seemed peaceful but unknown to them, skeleton warriors were watching them but dared not get close because the fire was burning. They let out some low screeches and their bones made soft clanking noises. **

**After some time of observing, they went away and let them sleep. The next morning, Spyro's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun shone on his face. He let out a yawn and stretched his body. Cynder was still asleep so he thought he'd prepare some breakfast before Cynder wakes up.**

"**Hey Hunter, want something to eat?" Spyro asked while turning to face Hunter. **

**However, the cheetah wasn't there anymore and strangely, Spyro saw bandages on the ground and something was written on a strip of it. It read: "Spyro, I have left for Avalar. Good luck and may the ancestors guide you".**

"**He left that early? I wonder what the hurry is," Spyro said.**

**He caught a boar wandering nearby and roasted it. He brought the roasted boar back to Cynder and placed it in front of her. She caught the whiff of the fragrant smell and smiled while her eyes were still closed.**

"**You have a way of enticing me, Spyro," she said.**

"**Just a little something for my love," he replied with a warm smile.**

**Cynder yawned and stretched before sitting up. Her eyes locked onto the roast boar and her mouthed drooled.**

"**Looks tasty," she said.**

"**It sure does. C'mon, let's chow down," Spyro said, his mouth was also drooling.**

**They ate the boar hungrily, tearing large chunks of it and chewing it like hungry carnivores. There were some blood stains on the side of their mouths but they didn't mind. They stripped the boar of its flesh and left only the bones and some ligaments. Spyro patted his belly and let out a burp.**

"**Wahoo, that was satisfying," Spyro said happily.**

"**Yeah, I loved it. You turned out to be a good cook," Cynder said.**

**Spyro stared at the skull of the boar and felt a sudden coldness. It was as the skull was staring back at him with melancholy. Spyro felt uncomfortable so he knocked the skull into the river.**

"**What was that for?" Cynder asked inquisitively.**

**Spyro shook his head and forced a smile.**

"**It was nothing. I just wanted to hit something," he replied.**

"**Oh," said Cynder.**

**Spyro didn't want to tell her that he saw a red glow in the eye sockets. He thought it might scare her.**

"**C'mon, let's get going," he suggested.**

"**Yeah, we shouldn't waste our time," Cynder continued.**

**As they left the place, it became quiet. Suddenly, the remains of the boar reassembled and the skull that sank into the river came back up and attached back to the neck. The eye sockets of the skull glowed bright red and the undead boar stared towards the direction where the two dragons went. It let out a screech and went after them.**

**Ignitus, now the new Chronicler, was watching. Worried lines creased over his face and he shook his head.**

"**The situation is getting worse. The Epicenter is worse than Malefor's fortress and the enemies are far more deadly. I hope Spyro and Cynder live through this because they are dealing with an ancient race that once ruled this world, wiped out by Malefor during his rise to darkness," he said to himself.**

**He looked into one book that the previous Chronicler had in the shelves. It wasn't a book that depicted the lives of multiple dragons; it was a book of necromancy created by the ancient race. **

"**I fear that you're dealing with something more powerful and sinister. Be careful Spyro, the humans are not to be trifled with," Ignitus said darkly.**

**At the entrance of the Epicenter, a dark warrior sat on a demon horse with horns and red eyes. He wore spiky black armor and wielded a massive broadsword. His face was covered by a helm but the glow in his eyes was visible. He let out a breath of dark air and grunted.**

"**Find the purple dragon and kill him. Do not return if you can't find him. I want the black dragoness alive," he said in a deep hollow voice to his skeleton soldiers.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A trip to the Moray Mines **

**Spyro and Cynder decided not to fly that day because the dampness of the rainforest was affecting their flight so they continued through the forest on foot. It was steaming as the afternoon sun rose to the middle of the sky. The two dragons panted and felt tired quickly because of the heat.**

"**Spyro, I'm feeling hot. Maybe we should stop for a while," Cynder said tiredly.**

"**We can't, we've stopped for 5 times already. We have to endure it," Spyro said. "Just hang on."**

"**Spyro…I-I…" Cynder continued but he suddenly fainted due to the heat.**

**Spyro stopped to help her up. The Great River was just nearby so he dragged her to the river and soaked her in the cool waters. The current was kind enough and the depth was shallow enough so he and Cynder entered the river for an afternoon dip. While Cynder was still unconscious, Spyro took the chance to relax a bit. He laid his head onto the sloping river bank and stared at the cliff opposite of the river. **

"**Wow, the heat is just unnatural. It must be like 40 degrees. It was never like that in the past," Spyro said to himself.**

**He took a sip of water and looked at Cynder. Maybe she needs a drink as well but how to get her to drink when she is out cold? He suddenly thought of an embarrassing idea on how to give her a drink of water. **

**He scooped up some water into his mouth and went towards Cynder. He went close and connected his lips to hers, closing his eyes and hoping Cynder doesn't wake up. However, Spyro fed the water into her mouth too fast and she choked on it and Cynder woke up with a startle, coughing out the water that went into her throat.**

"**Spyro, what were you doing?!" Cynder asked angrily while coughing at the same time.**

"**I-I'm sorry Cynder, you looked thirsty so I thought I'd give you a drink of water," Spyro said apologetically.**

**Cynder coughed a bit and wiped her mouth.**

"**It's okay, thank you for being concerned. So, where are we?" she asked while looking around.**

"**We're still in the forest. It might take us another day or two to reach the Epicenter according to the distance calculated and estimated by the dragon elders," Spyro explained.**

**Cynder shook her head.**

"**Too long; by the time we reach there, who knows how strong the undeads have grown. We have to hasten our pace," Cynder said. "Is there any other way we can reach there quickly?" Cynder asked Spyro.**

**Spyro consulted his map and tapped it. He then pointed towards the picture of a mountain that had a hole at its base.**

"**There is a way…but it's a rather perilous road. The elders said that if we are to reach the Epicenter quickly, we should use the Moray Mines but according to Cyril, the mines are reputed to be inhabited by an ancient beast that roams the great halls. Cyril doesn't encourage us to use it," Spyro cautioned Cynder.**

"**Other alternatives?" Cynder asked hopefully but Spyro shook his head.**

"**Damn, I guess we're limited to proceeding through the forest or risking our lives in the Moray Mines," Cynder muttered.**

**Suddenly, they heard rapid footsteps coming towards them. Before Spyro turned to see what it was, a skeleton boar burst from the bushes and head butted Spyro into the river. Its melancholic red eyes than turned towards Cynder. She did not move but the boar inched towards her slowly, letting out a low screech.**

**Spyro leapt out of the river and clawed the boar. The boar evaded the clawing attack and bit Spyro's neck.**

"**Argh, let go of me!" Spyro cried out in pain.**

**Cynder let out a breath of poison towards the boar but it didn't seem to have any effect on the beast. She tried other breaths but the boar would just sink its teeth deeper into Spyro's neck. Finally, she went towards the boar and attacked it with her claws. Cynder disintegrated the boar into a pile of bones. The entire skeleton became dust and was blown away by the wind. Cynder thought she caught the sight of an apparition of a blue spirit but when she blinked, it was gone. Cynder then turned her attention to Spyro.**

"**Spyro, are you hurt?" she asked with concern.**

"**That thing bit me…I'm a little hurt but I'll be fine," Spyro said.**

**Blood flowed out from the bite wounds but Cynder found some blood-staunching herbs nearby. She chewed it into bits and applied it onto Spyro's wounds.**

"**It's a good thing I took up nature classes from the cheetahs," Cynder said.**

**Minutes later, the blood flow from the wounds stopped and Cynder applied some bandages she brought along onto Spyro's neck.**

"**Feeling better?" she asked.**

"**Yeah, thanks to you," Spyro said.**

"**What was that all about?" Cynder asked.**

"**I'm not sure but I thought I recognized that skeleton boar somewhere," Spyro muttered.**

"**Weren't we eating one this morning and we left its skeleton back there?" Cynder asked again.**

"**Yeah but how can we be sure if it's really the one we ate?" Spyro asked.**

"**I left some bite marks on its left thighbone and I saw the exact marks on the boar that attacked us," Cynder said with a shiver.**

"**I was told of the dead coming to life but I never thought we would encounter one so soon," Spyro replied.**

**They looked at each other with some sense of dread.**

"**Maybe the elders were right to send us on a mission like this. The situation is really getting bad," Spyro muttered.**

"**We should make haste," Cynder continued.**

**Before they made a move, they heard heavy footsteps and angry screeches and grunts coming from the forest. It was behind them. **

"**Doesn't sound very welcoming. C'mon, lets get out of here," Cynder said.**

**The two dragons ran as quickly as they could. Just as Spyro cleared a group of trees, an arrow flew past his head by inches. It nearly hit Cynder but she evaded it when Spyro called her to move aside. With Cynder in front, Spyro was more vulnerable to attacks from the back. He heard the screeches getting louder followed by more black-tipped arrows.**

**Turning his head around, he saw an army of skeleton warriors trailing them, waving their swords at them and aiming their bows at them with arrows ready to be fired. They were slower but they certainly looked menacing. They wore broken chainmail and half plate armor and heavy metal boots. By the look of their skeletons, they certainly weren't undead cheetahs or dragons. They didn't look like any race Spyro was familiar with.**

**One of them had a funny-looking weapon with a long muzzle. However when it fired a shot at Spyro, Spyro couldn't see any projectile. All he saw was a flash of light and a loud boom. The shot missed and hit a small tree he ran past earlier, splintering it.**

"**What are these things?" Cynder asked in panic.**

"**I'm don't know and I've never seen anything like them before. We better lose them!" Spyro replied.**

**They cleared the forest but they reached a cliff and the bridge that connected to the other side was ruined. They flew across it but when Spyro looked back, he saw flying creatures flying above the forest trees…heading towards them.**

**They had riders on them and the creatures looked like birds and they had black flames on their bodies. It trailed as they flew.**

"**By the ancestors…Hunter was right, they are relentless," Spyro said.**

**The distance to the opposite cliff was quite far. If they fell, it would be a 900 meter drop to the river below. They were careful not to fly too close to the waterfall because the suction it creates might pull them towards the cascading waters. **

"**Cynder, hold my paw!" Spyro called out.**

**Cynder nodded and slowed down. Once they were in reach, they held their paws together and flew in unison. The skeleton warriors can't get them since they were in the sky but the riders were. Not only do they have ranged weapons, some were sorcerers. They launched dozens of magic attacks at them but the two dragons deftly avoided the attacks. Spyro turned around and launched a fireball towards the closest rider. The fireball caught it in the chest and knocked it off the undead bird it was riding on. The bird however waved a wing at Spyro and Cynder and threw a black ball of fire at them.**

**It hit Cynder and she gritted her teeth in pain. For a while she lost control but because she was holding Spyro's paw, he helped stabilize her and got her to fly. Cynder turned around and launched a wind attack at the trailing bird. The gust knocked it off balance and sent it plunging down into the river. It let out a long screech as it fell to its demise.**

"**Cynder, are you okay?" Spyro asked aloud.**

"**Yeah, besides the burns…I'm okay," she said with a forced smile while gritting her teeth in pain.**

**The two continued evading the attacks while heading for the opposite side. After 2 grueling minutes, the two finally landed at the opposite cliff. They sat down to catch a breath but the undead riders were still hot on their tail.**

"**What does it take to keep them away?!" Spyro asked in exasperation. **

**Cynder pulled Spyro's paw and led him into the forest. They ran too quickly and did not notice they were running towards a slope. When Cynder noticed though, it was too late. The two dragons tumbled down the slope and into a cave where they came to a grinding halt. Spyro got up slowly and wobbled about.**

"**I think I've just drank too much alcohol. The world seems to spin around," he said dizzily.**

**Cynder was also dizzy but she shook her head and tried to focus. Her multi-vision due to the dizziness dissolved and she noticed they were not in the forest anymore.**

"**Where are we?" Cynder asked.**

**Spyro shook his head and looked around him. He consulted his map again and felt a chill run down his spine.**

"**The Moray Mines," he said softly.**

**Cynder stopped in her tracks. Beyond her was a great cavern with a bright orange glow. Mine paths crisscrossed from one entrance to the other and the depth of the Moray Mines were very deep, so deep that the orange glow couldn't reach to the bottom. The walls of the mine were full of orange crystals, similar to the crystals they used for power. **

"**Spyro, look at this sight," Cynder said, mesmerized by the glow.**

**Spyro came to her side and gave a low whistle.**

"**Wow, this is just mesmerizing. Do you think the moles mined here?" Spyro asked.**

"**I doubt it Spyro. I don't think the moles have any use for the crystals. Whoever dug here, they not only know their machinery well, they are also rather advanced," Cynder said.**

**Spyro noticed metallic machineries located on some platforms and they seemed to be used for mining. They had drills and metal wheels and even a steam-powered engine. They didn't seem really operational and the rust on the machines confirmed that. The moles used coal-fired machines but steam-powered machines were something he never seen before. Spyro also noted some kind of weapon lying on the floor. It had a long muzzle and it was made of wood. It was rather heavy.**

"**C'mon Spyro, lets not waste time. We better find a way out since we're here," Cynder said.**

**The two explored the mines and were careful not to fall into the depths below. Following his instincts, Spyro led Cynder to a chamber at the top-most floor opposite a large crystal cluster. They followed the tracks to another large hall, this time it looked like the interior of a cathedral but it was so large that they couldn't see any end to it.**

"**Whoever built this place must love all things big. First a big mine now a big hall," Cynder quipped. She noticed some pictures of an unfamiliar creature fighting a dragon that looked like Malefor. The creature looked aggressive and he had a sword in his hand, ready for a stab at Malefor.**

"**This is just interesting. It seems like this species hated Malefor as well," Cynder continued.**

"**That's odd, we were never told of such a species before nor have we seen any," Spyro said inquisitively.**

"**That is because they are all dead," someone said.**

**The two dragons turned around in startle and saw a cheetah emerging from the darkness. He had a bow in his hand and he seemed bloodied up.**

"**Who are you?" Cynder asked cautiously.**

"**I am Von Katz, a subordinate of Chief Prowlus. I am one of the lost scouts that were sent to check on the Epicenter," the feline said.**

"**I thought everyone died. How'd you survive?" Spyro asked.**

"**Long story and I have no time to relate my 'adventures' to you. As of now, the undead are still after me," Katz said so softly that it was close to a whisper.**

**Suddenly, they heard screeches and sounds of heavy footsteps.**

"**Go, leave them to us," Spyro said to the feline.**

**Katz was reluctant but Spyro insisted on it.**

"**Very well, I'll go back to Avalar and inform the chief. May the ancestors watch over you," he said and turned around to leave.**

**Beyond the darkness, the two dragons caught the sight of some skeleton warriors. They waved their swords at them and rushed at the. Spyro leapt at the closest warrior and hit its head off. He then burned the bones into black carbon. Cynder whacked the next skeleton and turned it into a pile of bones. Without touching the ground after her air attack, she flew towards the next warrior and whacked it so hard that she propelled it into other warriors, turning them into a pile of bones.**

**Spyro grabbed a warrior by the neck and spun around. He then let go of it like a hammer throw and sent it flying into a hole in the floor. After a few minutes of battle, the two finally got rid of the undead warriors. All the bones turned into ashes and blue spirits came out from the pile of ashes before rising up into the heavens.**

"**They weren't that tough after all," Cynder said.**

"**No but they are dangerous in large numbers. I think we better continue before more of them find us," Spyro said to Cynder.**

**As they proceeded through the halls, they saw more and more pictures of the unfamiliar creatures slaying dragons and some were depicted as heroes. One of them was called 'Baron Salvador' and he had knights armor and he had one leg on a slayed dragon with his sword in the chest of the dragon.**

"**They look like they are dragon slayers," Spyro said with a chill in his voice.**

"**I don't like that picture one bit," Cynder said in disgust.**

**Spyro was so busy with his thoughts that he didn't see where he was walking. He accidentally kicked a helmet into a hole. It fell into it and made loud clanking noises before splashing into a pool of water.**

"**Spyro," Cynder said with a scowl.**

**Suddenly, the whole place rumbled and became quiet. Cynder and Spyro then heard something behind them. Even though they can't see what it was, they noticed the entrance behind them had a moving red glow and it was becoming brighter every second.**

"**Spyro, I don't like this at all," Cynder said while holding close to Spyro. Spyro covered her with one of his wings and stared at the ever brightening glow.**

"**Whatever it is, we must defeat it," Spyro said in determination.**

**Suddenly, the whole entrance crumbled along with a large portion of the wall. What Spyro saw next gave him a great shock of his life. A gigantic monster with a fiery head peered through the broken wall. It looked like a dragon but yet it was so demonic-looking that it couldn't even be a dragon.**

**Its mouth had fire flares coming out of it and its eyes burned with a menacing red glow. It looked around the hall before locking its eyes on the two teenage dragons. It burst through the wall and stood up straight. It had to be a hundred feet tall and it brandished a fiery-tipped spear of lava rock. **

"**This is not good," Spyro said in fear.**

I got this idea of a mine from Lord of the Rings. The monster is something like the Balrog but instead of a sword and whip, I gave it a spear. Keep the reviews coming so I can further improve the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Morpheus**

**Spyro and Cynder had no intention of fighting the demon so they took flight and ran as fast as they could. The demon was rather quick for a large creature and it tried to skewer the two with its spear. Each time it misses, the spear hit the floor and created large holes. The demon gave a loud roar and charged at the two, its speed was two times faster than before. The whole place was falling apart as the demon destroyed the supporting pillars as it ran into them.**

**Spyro and Cynder were careful not to get hit by any of the rubble. Many crevasses were found in the floors and they had to glide over it.**

"**That thing is fast!" Cynder said.**

"**We'll be faster if we don't look back!" Spyro yelled out. He pulled Cynder aside as rubble nearly hit her. They saw an entrance at yonder and a smile came over their faces. The demon however, did not let them go so easily. It threw its spear towards the top of the entrance. The spear impaled there and the wall began to crack, threatening to crash down.**

"**Hurry up before that thing crashes down and block our way!" Spyro said aloud.**

**The spear began to tilt and fall. Before it did, Spyro and Cynder skidded past the entrance and just in time. Just as Cynder cleared the entrance, the entire entrance was covered by rubble. The two heard the angry roar of the monster and multiple slams on the wall as the monster attempted to break it. However after a while, it stopped and everything was silent. Spyro and Cynder were panting hard and they looked at each other. They smiled and gave each other a hug, happy that they were still alive and unhurt.**

"**Are you okay Cynder?" Spyro asked.**

"**I'm okay but most importantly, are you?" Cynder asked with a wry smile.**

"**Nothing but a few scratches here and there," Spyro answered.**

**The two looked at the blocked entrance. Spyro let out a sigh and looked at Cynder.**

"**I guess there's no turning back. C'mon, let's find another way out of the mines. Hopefully there are more exits," Spyro said.**

**Using the light of the crystals that Prowlus gave to them, they made their way through more mining areas and large halls. Enemies were plentiful and the two had no problem dispatching them. At last, the two came to an opening but something was there. It was metallic and had six arms; each one had a different weapon. It came to life and let out some machine noises.**

"**That thing looks like some kind of machine," Cynder said.**

"**I think we're not going anywhere until we defeat it. C'mon Cynder, lets take it down," Spyro said.**

**The machine held up a sword and slashed at the two. Spyro evaded the slashes and attacked its back, causing some armor plates to fall off. Cynder leapt onto its head and attacked the crystal core, causing it to be knocked back. The machine then swung its sword 360 degrees, hitting Spyro and knocking Cynder off. Spyro rebounded and froze it with his ice breath.**

"**Cynder, attack!" Spyro yelled.**

**Cynder leapt up and head slammed the machine in the head, breaking it out from the ice encasing and further damaged the crystal that was powering it. The sword had broken so it used a spear next. It dashed forward with the spear pointing at them. Spyro nearly got hit but he ducked down and the spear missed his head. The machine kicked Spyro and sent him flying into the wall, knocking over some shields.**

**Cynder dashed forth and head slammed the machine, knocking it a few times before knocking it off its feet with her wind breath. She used a tornado attack and sent it flying into the wall. The spear splintered and this time it went for a mace. Spyro recovered from his attack and quickly disarmed the machine with his lightning breath. The machine seemed angry because the next weapon, a crossbow, was fired at rapid successions. One arrow impaled Spyro in the leg while another impaled Cynder in the paw. They shrugged off the pain and kept the attack coming.**

**Cynder kept it busy while Spyro climbed to its back and attacked the crystal core again. The machine tried to shoot Spyro but it missed. Spyro then melted the crossbow arm away with its fire breath. The machine's last two weapons were a rifle and cannon. It fired wildly at the two dragons.**

"**That thing is tough but we can defeat it. Aim for the crystal," Cynder said to Spyro.**

**Spyro nodded and launched a fireball at the crystal. The fireball made contact with the crystal and blew it into bits. The machine fell down and never got up again. Again, Spyro and Cynder saw a blue spirit rising from the machine and disappeared.**

"**It's the blue spirit again. Now I'm starting to wonder if all of these, undead and machine, are powered by spirits," Spyro said.**

"**Whatever it is, thank goodness it's gone. C'mon, let's get going," Cynder said.**

**They exited the mines and went on their way. This time, they weren't in the tropical forests anymore; rather the two were facing a large lush plain that had alpine mountains beyond the horizon. Flora and fauna were everywhere and it seemed harmonious. Cynder and Spyro can't help but smile.**

"**It's beautiful," Cynder said happily.**

"**Yeah, it reminds me of a place…it's so familiar…" Spyro said happily at first but suddenly changed serious before going out cold for no reason.**

"**Spyro, are you alright?" Cynder asked to no avail.**

**Spyro found himself in the Chronicler's chamber. The place was familiar to him because he has been called there a few times. He headed for the center room and sat there.**

"**Chronicler, you summoned me. What is it that you have to share with me?" Spyro called out.**

"**It's rather important, young dragon," Ignitus said as he walked out from the darkness behind Spyro.**

**Spyro's eyes widen as he heard that familiar voice before. He turned around quickly and stared at Ignitus, now the new Chronicler.**

"**It's good to see you again in person, Spyro," Ignitus said with a warm smile.**

**Spyro felt tears swell in his eyes. He rushed up to Ignitus and hugged him, sobbing softly. Ignitus patted Spyro's back, his tears swelling up as well.**

"**I miss you so much, Ignitus! You're not dead!" Spyro said happily.**

"**I'm not truly dead. I'd rather say that I've merely transcended into the position of Chronicler," Ignitus smiled.**

"**So you're the new Chronicler?" Spyro asked in surprise.**

**Ignitus nodded.**

"**Yes, I am. That is why I've summoned you here. There is something important you should know before you face more and more of the undead," Ignitus said with sudden seriousness. "Follow me."**

**He led Spyro to a library full of unfamiliar books. Ignitus summoned a book and opened it. Spyro noticed there were pictures of the extinct creatures exactly like the ones he saw back in the mines.**

"**Spyro, have you ever heard of the Sapiens-Draconic War?" Ignitus asked.**

"**No, I'm not very familiar with our past history," Spyro said while shaking his head.**

**Ignitus flipped to the first page.**

"**It was exactly 500 years ago when it all happened. I was a young adult dragon, a warrior full of pride. We were at war with a species of bipeds known as Homo-Sapiens, better known as humans. They were technologically advanced and were brave warriors, braver than the bravest cheetah warrior. The reason we were at war was because of territorial disputes. Human expansion has caused us to live in a land that was ever encroaching by them. One elder took up arms and led an army of dragon warriors to face of against the humans. Neither side could win," Ignitus narrated and stopped for a while, seemingly in deep thought.**

"**Then what happened?" Spyro asked with enthusiasm.**

"**Then, more of us were involved in the war. However, the war that happened was more than what meets the eye. One human warlord, Baron Salvador, was a reputed dragon hater and he had an ambition of wiping out the entire dragon race. Using the territorial dispute as a reason to ride out to war, he had the support of Emperor Dresdner, the supreme ruler of the humans. Salvador was vicious and he can take down the mightiest dragons with apparent ease. However, he underestimated one particular dragon, a purple one in fact," Ignitus said.**

"**Malefor," Spyro answered darkly.**

"**Yes, Malefor. He was an equal match to Salvador and twice as tough. The two fought on top of a mesa while their armies massacred each other. The mesa was known as the Dueling Top, now known as the Epicenter. The two fought with such spectacular display of skill that I had to stop my fighting and watch the two fight each other. However, Salvador was defeated and slained by Malefor. Before the death of Salvador, he placed a curse on the entire human race, saying it out loudly. He vowed that the human race will never rest in peace until the dragons have been wiped out. Malefor proceeded to attack the humans, even the women and children," Ignitus said.**

"**That's cruel. How could he do that?" Spyro asked indignantly.**

"**I know it is but something tells me that Malefor had other…motives rather than defending his own race only. He found every human and killed them mercilessly, flattening their mighty cities along. Even if I detest the humans encroaching on our lands, Malefor's action was too much. Going on a killing streak from the Moray Mines to the holy human city of Trilith, Malefor laid siege on them relentlessly. The last human to die was Emperor Dresdner. I remember it as if it just happened yesterday," Ignitus trailed off.**

_**Flashback**_

**Malefor held the Emperor up by the neck with one hand. He was laughing evilly while the human struggled to free himself. **

"**Give it up human; you're the last one alive here. No one is going to save you now," Malefor said with a dark smile. **

"**You might have killed us all but we will rise up again one day and strike you down. I'll make sure of that," Dresdner said angrily and spat at Malefor's face.**

**Malefor growled at Dresdner and squeezed his neck even tighter. The man choked and gasped for air, hitting Malefor's paw at the same time.**

"**Really now? I think necromancy is a studied subject by you all. Perhaps I should use it to my pleasure," Malefor said.**

**He threw the Emperor into a wall and broke his skull, killing him instantly. His golden crown fell of his head and rolled towards Malefor's feet. Malefor picked it up and smiled.**

"**One day, dragons will rule and I will be the Emperor," he said with an evil glow in his eyes.**

**Young Ignitus saw what happened and from that day forth, he had a feeling that Malefor does have hidden motives.**

_**Flashback End**_

"**He vowed to become the Emperor of all dragons," Ignitus said softly.**

"**So his ambition was to rule us all. Do you think that is what made him evil?" Spyro asked.**

"**Part of it. He mastered all elements, remember? He used his raw power to do evil things rather than good. He wanted power; he wanted to rule us all. This story of a war between dragons and humans played a part in Malefor's ascension into darkness," Ignitus explained.**

"**Why wasn't I told about it?" Spyro asked.**

"**I was afraid you weren't ready for it because I've already foresaw the rise of humans to take revenge on us all when I was still alive. Salvador's curse wasn't effective but the Emperor's curse was. If Malefor hadn't tried to wipe them out, things would turn out differently. Emperor Dresdner wasn't a dragon hater and he loved our race but because of Malefor, he hated dragons before his death," Ignitus continued.**

**Spyro now knew some truth about it and he suddenly felt pity for the humans. Many were innocent victims to Malefor's killing spree.**

"**So, the undeads are actually the humans?" Spyro asked.**

"**Yes, they are. For 5 centuries they have laid dormant under our feet and now they rise again. They might have missed a chance to take revenge on Malefor but remember this Spyro; their curse can't be broken until we are all dead. You have encountered them and you know how relentless they are," Ignitus said.**

"**Why are they killing other creatures then?" Spyro suddenly remembered.**

"**They somehow have become bloodthirsty, killing any living thing they see," Ignitus explained.**

**Ignitus looked around and took out the book of necromancy. He gave it to Spyro and whispered something.**

"**This is the book of necromancy Malefor stole from the humans. With this book, he can animate the dead and possibly where Dresdner got his curse from. It may help you find a way to put an end to the undead menace but be wary of what you read inside. You may even be tempted to try to bring back the loved ones you lost. If you find this book too evil, you must destroy it because there is something about this book that even the previous Chronicler can't keep in," Ignitus cautioned.**

**Spyro looked at the book and felt a sudden rush of dark energy. The book's power was far beyond what he could ever imagine.**

"**Go; take this book with you on the mission. Use it against the undead if you have to but be careful," Ignitus said before Spyro returned back to the realm of the living.**

**Spyro opened his eyes and found that night has already fallen. Cynder was preparing a campfire when she noticed Spyro waking up.**

"**You nearly gave me a heart attack, Spyro. Really, you've been slumbering for the entire evening," Cynder said while running up to Spyro and hugging him.**

"**I'm feeling refreshed now and I also saw Ignitus," Spyro said with a smile.**

"**Ignitus? I thought he was dead," Cynder said in surprise.**

"**You wouldn't believe me but he's the new Chronicler and he called me," Spyro said with a smile.**

**Cynder looked at Spyro inquisitively, not sure whether to believe Spyro or not. However, she gave a smile gave Spyro a kiss in the cheek.**

"**I believe you Spyro. Hey, what is that in your paws?" she asked.**

**Spyro noticed that she was pointing at a book he was hugging. He placed it down on the grassy ground and related his story to Cynder. After he was done, Cynder tapped the book and thought about what Spyro said.**

"**So there was a war between humans and dragons. Interesting story, I thought I heard Gaul mentioning something like that when I was serving Malefor. This book is supposed to contain what?" Cynder asked again.**

"**It contains curses and spells that animate the dead and give life to a deceased one, especially the ones you love," Spyro clarified.**

"**Maybe we can use it to revive Ignitus," Cynder suggested.**

"**No, we can't. Who knows what will happen," Spyro scowled.**

"**I was just joking, Spyro. Besides, you need a dead body to animate it," Cynder said.**

**Spyro peeked into the first pages and quickly closed it. He didn't have a good look at its contents but he certainly had a bad feeling about it.**

"**Um, let's get some rest. We have a long journey ahead," Spyro said.**

**Afraid of having other animals for dinner, they resorted to eating wild berries before going to sleep. As the two dragons slept close together, the book of necromancy glowed red and the ground not far from the two dragons split apart, out from the ground came a man in black chainmail cuirass, holding a blue claymore sword. Unlike the skeleton warriors, this one had an uncorrupted body and he looked more like a living thing than an undead one.**

"**I have been released at last," the man said as he stood up. He noticed the two dragons sleeping so he kept his sword.**

"**It must be them; it must be the two dragons I foresaw in the past. They have to help me," the man said quietly.**

**He went up to the two and shook Spyro in the shoulder. Spyro was annoyed but when he saw the man, he gave a yell and leapt backwards. Cynder was startled and she quickly ran to Spyro. **

"**A human? I thought they were all dead," Cynder said loudly.**

"**Relax you two, I mean you no harm," the man said.**

"**How can we be sure you're not lying to us?" Spyro asked with caution.**

"**If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so while you were sleeping. You released me from my underground prison with that book of necromancy and that was what I predicted when I was alive," the man said.**

"**Explain yourself," Spyro demanded.**

"**I am Morpheus, elite Imperial Warrior for Emperor Dresdner. Before Malefor's arrival at Trilith, I received a vision by someone known as the Chronicler that even if I was cursed to never rest in peace until all dragons are dead, I will never be revived by my own kin but a dragon will do that instead. At first, I thought it was a dream but now that you proved the vision to be correct, my sword shall serve you," the man explained.**

"**You mean the previous Chronicler spoke to you?!" Cynder asked in surprise.**

"**Not directly, rather I heard a voice in my head. After the destruction of my race, I lay dormant in the ground, not realizing how long the years went by. During my time of dormancy, I came to realize that vision is something of a message. Even underground, I can hear the souls of my kin crying out for revenge, most of them coming from the Realm of the Dead, the Netherworld. They all hated dragons and wanted revenge but the Netherlord has not give the permission to let them wreak havoc. I was never noticed by my kin and I'm somewhat like an outcast just because before my death, I had no hatred for dragons," Morpheus clarified.**

"**So maybe that is the reason why you still have a complete body," Spyro said.**

"**I'm not sure but I hope you're right. Purple dragon, let me serve you for freeing me from my prison. My own kin can't kill me so I can protect you from harm. I can harm them because my sword was specifically made to slay dragons and undead," Morpheus said.**

**Spyro nodded.**

"**Very well, you can follow us on our mission but be careful of what you are doing," Spyro warned.**

"**Don't worry, you have my word. Besides, I have some matters to take care with the Netherlord," Morpheus said darkly.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: God of Destruction**

**As the two dragons slept through the night, Morpheus watched over them with vigilance. He needs not sleep because he's already dead. Physical needs mean nothing to him anymore but he still needs food but not water. As the morning sun rose, Spyro was the first to wake up again. He yawned and stretched, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a loud sigh.**

"**Man, that was the best sleep ever now that we're out of the tropical forest," he said happily. "I wonder what to eat."**

**He saw Morpheus sitting on top of a large boulder, looking at the distance. He didn't seem to notice Spyro so the purple dragon went to a nearby water pool to hunt for food. When he returned with a deer, Cynder was already awake and chatting with Morpheus. Somehow, Spyro had a jealous feeling in him. He saw smoke coming out from his nostrils, indicating rising anger. Spyro shook his head and reminded himself that they were only friends.**

"**Spyro, you've returned," Morpheus said.**

"**Yeah and what do you think you're doing with Cynder?" Spyro asked in a voice that indicated he was controlling his anger.**

"**What is with you, Spyro? Morpheus is only chatting with me," Cynder said.**

**Spyro felt something in him but he quickly staunched it. If he let his anger out, who knows what will happen. Spyro forced a smile at the two.**

"**Nothing, I was just worried," he said.**

**Cynder only nodded and eyed at the deer. **

"**So, are you gonna roast it or are we gonna eat it raw?" Cynder asked while examining the deer.**

"**How about we make it medium rare?" Spyro suggested.**

"**Sounds delicious," Cynder said happily.**

"**What about you Morpheus?" Spyro asked.**

**Morpheus shook his head and took out a strange-looking weapon. He pulled the trigger and fired a shot into the sky. The sound was very familiar as some of the skeleton warriors used the same weapon as well. Spyro still wondered how he can attack with that weapon without any visible projectile. AT that moment, a dead bird fell in front of Morpheus. He plucked out the feathers and ate it raw.**

"**Ugh, I never had the impression that humans eat things raw," Cynder said in disgust, sticking her tongue out.**

"**We don't but ever since the day I rose from the dead, I had a sudden craving for bloody meat. It makes me look uncivilized but hey, no one cares anymore," Morpheus said with a hint of sadness. "Oh well, bon appetite," he said and crunched on the bird.**

**Blood spurted everywhere as he bit on the bloodiest parts of the bird's body. Even if they were carnivores, Spyro and Cynder found the man's eating style rather…disgusting and feral. It didn't take the man long to finish the bird and bury its bones. The two dragons ate their food while Morpheus reloaded his weapon. Spyro saw Morpheus putting black powder into his weapon via the opening of the weapon at its barrel. He then inserted a small lead ball into it before using a stick to jam it in further.**

"**Morpheus, don't mind me asking but what is that thing?" Spyro asked as he chewed on some meat chunks.**

"**This thing? Oh, it's called a rifle, a somewhat more powerful substitute for the conventional bow and arrow. It fires a lead projectile so fast that you can't see it. We have been using it for only 50 years before Malefor's plan to exterminate the human race," Morpheus clarified.**

"**Nice invention. So what other inventions you humans have created before going extinct?" Cynder asked.**

"**Well, we've created steam-powered siege engines, better known as a tank, mithril armoring, sophisticated mining equipments, magic weapons and so on," Morpheus said lamely.**

"**What is this tank?" Spyro asked.**

"**Well, you can call it a catapult but it's made of steel rather than wood that most catapults use. Instead of launching projectiles in an arc, we can launch it straight at the enemy. The projectile is loaded at the breach of the cannon. When fired, it travels at such speeds that it can't be seen. It's hard to shoot over walls with it but why do that when we can blast a hole in the wall and go through it. Of course, the tank is not perfect. It's prone to breaking down and its movement is slow. Even if it is made of steel, any incoming boulders can crush the tank. The only thing that makes the tank outstanding is that it can protect the users from ranged and melee attacks and it has far more powerful projectiles," Morpheus explained while drawing simple diagrams on the ground.**

"**Do you think that your kin will be using this tank in future assaults?" Cynder asked.**

"**Most likely. They have the knowledge and expertise to do it. However, I can help you if you like," Morpheus said with a smile.**

"**How?" Cynder asked in surprise.**

"**I was a tank builder before I joined the army. Not only that, I'm also a blacksmith," Morpheus said with a wink.**

"**Can you make rifles?" Spyro asked while finishing up the last meat pieces.**

"**Alas, I'm not a gunsmith. I only know how to use one, not build it," Morpheus said sadly.**

**He slung his rifle on his shoulder and stood up. The sun was rising slowly and its light was casting over the plains. Morpheus dug a hole in the ground and buried the remains of the deer in it.**

"**That way, it won't be possessed by the spirit of my kin," Morpheus explained before the two dragons could ask him why he did it.**

"**You seem to know a lot even when you just rose up yesterday," Cynder said.**

"**My spirit is in contact with those that are free so I know what they're thinking. I call this mind-tapping. I can mind tap into any human spirits and listen to their thoughts but I can't do it on all of them," he said while dusting his hands.**

"**So what next?" Cynder asked while looking at Spyro.**

**Spyro consulted his map and pointed towards the distant mountains. The three noticed a dark aura emitting from the other side of the alpine mountains. **

"**At the other side of those mountains should be the Epicenter according to the map. The dark aura just confirms my suspicions," Spyro said.**

**Morpheus tapped his chin and stared at the distance.**

"**I've walked through this place before. To reach the other side of the mountains will take 3 days at normal pace: one whole day to reach the mountain base and 2 days climbing up and down the mountain. We can be faster if we go through the Valley of Kharnak but it's not a good idea," Morpheus said.**

"**Let me guess, something evil lurks in it, right?" Cynder asked while rolling her eyes. "How very typical," she muttered.**

"**It's a treacherous place with plenty of avalanches, ice crevasses and subzero temperatures. Kharnak is the God of Destruction according to our belief and that valley was named after him because those who went in there never returned and those who really made it out alive made statues of Kharnak and placing them at the valley entrance, hoping that Kharnak have mercy on them. I don't believe in Kharnak but truth be told, I always felt that I was being watched whenever I pass by the valley entrance, as if Kharnak was watching me," Morpheus said.**

"**Nah, I'm sure you're just being paranoid. Anyway, I think we better get going and hopefully we can reach there in time and halt the undead before they set out to destroy the dragon race," Spyro said.**

**Back at Warfang, Terrador looked at the skies, watching a large group of crows fly by the city. It was an omen he can't deny and a sign he will never forget if anything happens.**

"**I hope the Spyro and Cynder are okay. This mission may not be suitable for those two to undertake," Terrador said with a sigh.**

**Cyril came to his side and sat down, watching the sky as well.**

"**So, feeling a bit regretful for making the two young dragons go on this mission?" Cyril asked.**

"**Somehow. I'm not sure if those two are ready. This new evil isn't anything like what Malefor can do. It's full of hatred, vengeance and blood-thirsting. Even for someone as evil as Malefor, this is just pure desire for killing. Malefor desires power and annihilation but this new evil desires vengeance and hatred. It's not Malefor we're dealing with here," Terrador said darkly.**

"**So if it's not Malefor behind this, who is it?" Cyril asked.**

"**I'm not sure. The scouts that reported to us gave insufficient intelligence on the enemy and all they mentioned was the rapid growth of dark purple crystals and red ones as well. Von Katz was the last scout to report to us and he mentioned the rapid construction of a dark fortress around the Epicenter. Something tells me the undeads are ready to wage war," Terrador muttered.**

"**We should muster our defenses and prepare for it if it comes. We can't put all our hopes on two young dragons on destroying this seemingly deadlier evil force," Cyril said seriously.**

"**Yes, maybe we should get the other warriors to help join in the defense of any lands that are not infected by darkness. Cyril, you must head for the eastern continent and get any available warrior here to Warfang. Tell Volteer that he is in charge of going to the western lands to gather reinforcements. If Warfang falls, so will the Dragon Temple and the new brood of dragon eggs. We have lost many during the battle with Malefor's forces and these eggs are our hope of continuing our next generation," Terrador said.**

"**I'm on it, Terrador," Cyril said.**

**Terrador noticed a dark aura at the horizon as he was at the top of the city. He knew that aura meant trouble.**

"**Darkness is spreading fast, faster than the Destroyer could move. Spyro, Cynder, please hurry. If they keep up at this pace, the dark aura may engulf the city in three days time," Terrador said in secret fear.**

**The crows suddenly let out loud caws and disappeared into the distance, no traces of them were to be seen, not even a feather. Terrador had cold sweat running down his head. It occurred to him that the crows were not natural.**

**At the Epicenter, the man in spiky dark armor watched the crystals being broken by his men…or rather skeleton warriors. The dark purple crystals released some kind of blue spirit whenever it was broken open. They were free to go on their way and wreak havoc before the arrival of the main army. The man let out a breath of dark air and laughed.**

"**These spirits will be useful in harassing my enemies before my invasion of this world. Dragons will fall and all other creatures will bow to me, begging for me to spare their lives," he said menacingly.**

**One skeleton warrior came up to the man saluted.**

"**My lord, the warriors that you sent to eliminate the purple dragon and witnesses to our fortress has failed. The dragons were in the way and the two single-handedly defeated our task forces," the skeleton warrior reported.**

"**Hmm, this is interesting…so the legend of the purple dragon is true. They do wield immense power unlike normal dragons. As for that black dragon following the purple one, I could use her to my needs," the man said.**

"**I thought you wanted all dragons dead," the skeleton warrior said.**

"**Yes but I thought I'd keep one for my own entertainment before finishing her off. She is, after all, the former Queen of Darkness and I know some evil still resides in her. All she needs is a little nudge and she'll turn against her mate. When she is done with him, I'll slay her," the man said with an evil glow in his eyes.**

"**Aye my lord, a good way to end that miserable dragon's life," the skeleton warrior said with an evil grin.**

"**Unleash more wraiths into the world, let them possess the body of the living and wreak havoc on all. The inhabitants shall know of our arrival. If they do not listen to our warnings, then the whole human race will rise again from the ground. Who can resist an army of billions coming from the ground before their very eyes," the man said with an evil grin.**

"**Ah, a mass resurrection. There are billions who have yet to rise but your calling will bring them back on their feet…and there are a lot of them throughout the world. This will be fun," the skeleton warrior said.**

"**Yes and by the power of the Netherlord, our curse will be fulfilled with the destruction of the dragons," the man said and laughed evilly.**

**The trio, Spyro, Cynder and Morpheus, thought they heard something at the distance. It sounded like thunder and a laugh at the same time. It sent chills down their spines.**

"**I know that laugh…" Morpheus muttered.**

"**Oh, whose laugh is that scary?" Spyro asked while holding close to Cynder.**

"**Baron Salvador. His maniacal laugh usually indicates that he is ready to face the enemy, in other words, the dragons. If he wasn't an undead, he could have ridden to his enemies within a day. Undeads can't stand sunlight and the only way to traverse easily is by the dark aura the Epicenter emits. The aura blocks out light and that makes traveling easier for them," Morpheus said.**

"**Feels like the Eternal Night," Cynder said softly.**

"**I have a feeling they'll hit Warfang first. Maybe I should tell this to Chief Prowlus and warn him first," Spyro said.**

**He reached for his crystal and contacted the Chief. He heard the feline's voice emitting from it.**

"**Spyro, is that you?" Prowlus asked.**

"**The one and only," Spyro answered happily.**

"**Thank the ancestors for that. I must thank you for helping out Hunter and Von Katz in their escape, they have news that the Dragon Elders should know," Prowlus continued.**

"**So they already informed the elders?" Spyro asked.**

"**Yes and the elders are getting ready for an attack. They're summoning any dragon warriors they could get their hands on," Prowlus said.**

"**At least they were informed. Prowlus, are you aiding in the defense as well?" Spyro asked.**

"**Yes but that is not the case right now. Spyro, have you reached the Epicenter yet?" Prowlus asked.**

"**Close. Once we reach the Epicenter, what should we do?" Spyro asked some more,**

"**Didn't Terrador tell you what to do?" Prowlus asked.**

"**No, he didn't tell me what to do when we reach there," Spyro said apologetically.**

"**Humph, missed out a little detail have we? The Epicenter is the gateway to the Netherworld, a place where all evil souls reside. Your task is to go in there and defeat the Netherlord, the one in control of the Netherworld," Prowlus said.**

"**That is something…though how can we break their curse?" Spyro asked.**

"**Curse? What curse?" Prowlus asked with genuine puzzlement.**

"**These undead are cursed to destroy the dragon race before they can rest in peace. There must be a way to break the curse and free the humans without having to destroy us dragons," Spyro said.**

"**Hmm, I should talk to Terrador about it. Sometimes I really wish Ignitus was around…" Prowlus trailed off before the communication link broke off.**

"**There is a way, Spyro," Morpheus said.**

"**How?" Cynder asked on Spyro's behalf.**

"**The one who cursed us all is the Emperor himself. If we defeat the Emperor, the curse will be broken whether the dragons are exterminated or not," Morpheus said with a smile. "That's the rule when putting a curse on someone. You're the one who puts the curse and your demise will break it. It's the rule of cursing," he continued.**

"**If that is the case, we might still have hope. C'mon, we have a world to save," Spyro said with full determination.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Return to Warfang**

"**Here we are," Morpheus said as the trio stood in front of the valley entrance after a long day of walking and fighting. **

**Midnight had arrived and the only thing in the dark sky was the celestial moons. It illuminated the valley entrance and made it look like a dormant demon with its mouth open. Spyro and Cynder felt chills just by looking at it. Wind blew from it and it made some kind of moaning sound. It felt cold and scary.**

"**We have two choices: one is that we climb the mountain, two is which we enter the Valley of Kharnak. Both are equally dangerous but the route to the Epicenter is faster if we use the valley. That is only my personal opinion," Spyro said.**

"**The mountain road is much safer. However given the amount of time we have, time isn't by our side. We should take the risk and enter the valley. It's wide enough for a caravan to enter so we won't have a problem walking side-by-side," Morpheus corrected Spyro.**

"**What say you all?" Spyro asked the two.**

"**The valley," Cynder said.**

"**Same here," Morpheus said.**

"**Well…alright, w-we'll take the valley," Spyro stuttered a bit.**

**The walk through the valley was rather an ordeal for them. The roads seem to wind and many ice crevasses were present. Some were impossible to cross as the bridges are broken and the wind was too strong for the dragons to fly. At the middle of the valley, they found a cave and decided to take some rest. In the caves, Spyro started a fire and kept them warm. **

"**How long have we been walking?" Morpheus asked.**

"**About 2 hours or so. We should continue tomorrow," Cynder replied.**

**Spyro nodded and tried to lean against the cave wall to sleep but he leaned on a statue. Turning around, he saw a statue of a fanged centaur with folded wings. Its left hand held a skull shield while its right hand held a sword. It wore a necklace of skulls and rings of crossbones. **

"**Who is this terrible-looking fellow?" Spyro joked.**

"**That is Kharnak, the God of Destruction," Morpheus said without even looking up and examining the statue.**

"**So this is the Kharnak you speak of," Cynder said while examining the statue. "Is he even real?"**

"**Many thinks he is but I say he's only a statue at best. I mean who would believe in the God of Destruction? There are no gods…if there were any, that particular god might just save us from being a cursed race," Morpheus said angrily.**

**The man stabbed his sword into the ground and leaned against the cave wall opposite of the statue.**

"**Heck, I even wonder if I'm really dead," he continued.**

**Cynder felt pity for the man and gave a piece of meat to him. Morpheus declined and went to sleep, even though he doesn't need one.**

"**I don't blame him for his ire. I don't think one can stand long dormancy while watching the world in danger," Cynder said to Spyro.**

**The purple dragon merely nodded. Suddenly, he felt drowsy and went unconscious. Cynder thought Spyro went to sleep so she went to sleep as well.**

"**Ignitus, what is it you want with me?" Spyro asked.**

**Ignitus came out from the darkness and smiled at Spyro, which the purple dragon did in return.**

"**I was just checking on you. I wanted to tell you something important. As of now, young dragon, the undead are preparing for a major invasion of Warfang in an attempt to crush the forces there. What's worse is that a new brood of dragon eggs have arrived two days ago and are not ready for hatching. They are the next generation of dragons and if we lose them, we might not have a chance anymore," Ignitus said.**

"**What can we do?" Spyro asked in panic.**

"**There is nothing much that can be done and the only option is to return to Warfang and aid in the defense of the city," Ignitus replied.**

"**But we've come this far and we're close to the Epicenter. If we pull back now, we won't have much time. By the time we reach the city, everything will be over. Isn't it better if we head into the Epicenter while their forces are on the way to Warfang?" Spyro asked.**

"**No, you're not prepared to fight the Netherlord. Malefor is one thing but the Netherlord is another. They maybe evil but the Netherlord hold more malice than Malefor by two folds. He is extremely strong and cannot be defeated by any means except the power of darkness. You have to fight fire with fire," Ignitus said.**

"**You mean…" Spyro started with wide eyes.**

"**Yes, you must use your dark side to defeat the Netherlord but I only fear that your dark side has more control over you and you will walk Malefor's path of evil. Besides, it's not easy to summon your dark side. I won't tell you how because I'm sure you know the technique of hate and wickedness. Listen closely Spyro, defend Warfang and if you succeed in protecting all the dragon eggs, then you're deemed ready to face the Netherlord," Ignitus said.**

"**How is that going to help?" Spyro asked.**

"**You will find that your control over your dark side much easier because you use it to protect the ones you care for. With that in mind, your temptation to go evil will be less…though I can't guarantee a 100 percent. The unborn dragons are your new brothers and sisters and I'm sure you don't want them dead, do you?" Ignitus asked.**

**Spyro looked down on the floor for a while and looked up again, this time he was full of determination.**

"**No, I won't let them enter the Realm of the Dead. I must protect them," Spyro said.**

"**Good, if that is what you think, so be it. But now, you should convince your friends to return to Warfang. Once that is done, take the Moray Mine route and follow the Great River. It bypasses Avalar and you should return to Warfang within two days. Move now and get going, time is not on your side," Ignitus said.**

**Spyro woke up from his unconsciousness and looked around. Morpheus was awake but Cynder was still asleep. **

"**Having a nightmare?" Morpheus asked.**

"**No, I met the Chronicler," Spyro said.**

**Morpheus seemed confused for a while but snapped out of it. **

"**The Chronicler you say? It must be important. What is it that you were told?" Morpheus asked.**

"**Um…we must turn around and return to the dragon city of Warfang. We can return to the Epicenter once we're done defending the city," Spyro said.**

"**We've come so far. Why turn back now?" Morpheus asked.**

"**A new brood of dragon eggs is in danger and if we lose them, our future is in danger. The escape route in the Dragon Temple has been blocked and there is no other way out. Priority goes to defending the eggs now," Spyro said.**

"**Warfang…wow, it's far if we are to walk back from here. We might not have the time…unless we have a glider. Spyro, the winds from the mountains blow towards the plains and beyond. If we can ride the winds, we maybe able to reach to Moray Mines within 2 hours," Morpheus said.**

"**We can glide but what about you?" Spyro asked.**

"**I can't but you two are the important ones here not me. Make haste and return to your city as quickly possible. Take my blueprints on creating tanks, mithril armors and magic weaponry. They might help change the tide of battle for you," Morpheus said while handing Spyro some blueprints.**

"**What about you?" Spyro asked.**

"**I'll go to the Epicenter and distract the undead as long as I can. Don't worry; I'll buy you enough time for you to make those weapons and armors. Go, may your ancestors watch over you, whoever they are," Morpheus said.**

**He took his sword and went on his way. Spyro was reluctant to let him go but Morpheus had no choice. Besides, Warfang might need all the time they can get to prepare for an inevitable attack. Spyro woke up the black dragoness and told her of the change of plan. Without much hesitation, the two dragons spread open their wings and rode along with the wind. It brought them across the open sky and the two need not flap their wings as the wind was strong enough to let them glide a long distance.**

**By the time they reached the entrance of the Moray Mines, the sky was still dark. They didn't give the mines much thought and entered it straight away. They backtrack their earlier paths and entered the chamber that was blocked by rubble earlier. **

"**Now what? The entrance has been blocked and there is no other way," Cynder said angrily.**

"**Look harder, maybe there is a hidden way or something. There should be," Spyro said and he looked around.**

**They searched everywhere but found nothing. Just as the two were about to give up, Cynder pushed on a loose brick and a door opened not far from them. They heard the sound of rushing waters and one river came in mind.**

"**The Great River!" the two said happily in unison.**

**They entered the room and followed the stairs down to an underground port. There was a boat at a small dock. It had a ballista at its back for defense. The two dragons made sure it wasn't broken before entering it. The water wasn't moving and it was impossible to row a heavy boat like this. **

"**Well, what now?" Spyro asked Cynder. The black dragoness shrugged and shook her head.**

**They looked around and saw that a dam was slowing the water flow. Spyro got off the boat and opened the dam doors by turning a wheel nearby. The water flow slowly increased in rapidity and Spyro quickly got on the boat before a large surge came and pushed the boat forth. They were flushed out of the opening of the underground entrance and into the opening. The water was getting more and more rapid and now it became a roller coaster ride to hell. With so many rocks in the way, Cynder steered the boat to avoid hitting the rocks. Their ride was not unnoticed though. As soon as they reached a river bend of the tropical forest, undead riders went after them.**

"**It's them again! Spyro, get rid of them!" Cynder yelled.**

"**They won't get past me!" Spyro said with a smile.**

**He got onto the ballista and fired rapid shots at the riders. His shots were dead on and he score 10 kills before the next river bend. A bump over an underwater rock threw Spyro's aim and the shot missed. The 3-meter long iron arrow flew past a rider and impaled into a tree.**

"**Cynder, if you do that again, you'll scrape a hole in our boat!" Spyro cautioned.**

**The rapid river flow made it hard for Cynder to steer and the steering wheel was heavy. However, she somehow managed it quite nicely and her reflexes were fast, avoiding deadly rocks that got in their way. One rider got beside the boat and leapt boarded it. Spyro turned his head around and shot and Earth Blast at the rider, knocking it into the water. He then shot another blast at the undead bird, knocking it into a tree.**

**One sorcerer fired a bolt of explosive magic at the stern of the boat, causing it to rock violently. Spyro was thrown off the ballista but he got back on again and continued firing. After a long while, he ran out of arrows to shoot. He resorted to using his elemental breaths to ward off the riders.**

"**Spyro, the waters are moving too fast!" Cynder yelled at the top of her lungs. **

**Spyro turned to look at the front of the boat and found a plunging waterfall right in front of them. His pupils dilated in fear and didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he heard Ignitus' voice.**

"**Spyro, abandon the boat and fly your way to Avalar. May the winds guide you well," the voice said.**

**The boat plunged over the waterfall but the two dragons did not leap out of it. The riders abandoned their chase after seeing that, thinking they would be dead anyway. But unknown to them, halfway down the falls, the two dragons spread open their wings and glided with the wind to the Valley of Avalar. The sun was rising and it created a beautiful scenery.**

"**Spyro, you're really a daredevil," Cynder said smilingly. She kissed his lips and held his paw.**

"**Maybe purple dragons are natural born daredevils. I should really join the ranks of the Great River Riders," Spyro quipped.**

**Cynder chuckled and said nothing else. The sunlight reflected off Spyro's eyes, creating a nice sparkle. She can't help but blush.**

**Back at Warfang, a group of young dragon warriors arrived with weapons and armor. They were from the Western Lands that Volteer went to.**

"**Thank you all for arriving in such short notice. We don't have much time as the undead are preparing for an attack on our city," Terrador said.**

"**Not much of a problem. It has been quite a while since we have some action," the lead dragon with silver horns said. **

**He was a battle veteran named Valcor and he was a golden dragon and he used to play a part in battling Malefor's forces. His tri-horns were indications of a natural born leader and he bore multiple scars on his body. **

"**Ah, you're Valcor, yes?" Terrador asked.**

"**Aye, the one and only. So, where is our purple hero?" Valcor asked while looking around.**

"**He has went to the Epicenter to stop the undead," Terrador said.**

"**Whoa, that is rather foolhardy of him. Can he really take on an entire army?" Valcor asked in surprise.**

"**No and I do hope he is smart enough to return. It seems like Warfang needs him more. By the ancestors I hope he returns," Terrador said with a sigh.**

"**I'm sure he'll return. Anyway, we better get ready. Flame, Ember, onto the ramparts. You two are on watch duty," Valcor pointed at a red and pink dragon respectively.**

"**Why do we always get the watch duty?" Flame asked in annoyance.**

"**Because you two have better eyesight than any of us. If you have a problem with that, blame yourself for having good eyesight. Chloe, Dagonet, you two guard the incubation chamber. Vesper, Kane, Priscilla, Kei, you four are responsible for guarding the streets. Jeanne, you're with me. We're guarding the dragon temple," Valcor assigned tasks to his teammates. **

**Everyone went to their respective positions except for a forest-green dragoness named Jeanne. She was Valcor's assistant and girlfriend.**

"**Terrador, how many other dragons are coming to aid in the defense of Warfang?" Valcor asked.**

"**I'm not sure but we haven't finish mustering all yet. Let's hope there is more," Terrador said.**

**He looked at the dark aura. It was closing in on Warfang fast. When it does, the undead will attack them. Valcor said nothing more and he and Jeanne went on their way. Suddenly, he saw a red star streak across the sky even though it was daylight. It was a very bad omen and even for a dragon as tough as him, he can't help but feel fear.**

"**Damn, could it be that Kharnak is in this as well?" he asked himself softly.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Preparation for the siege**

**Morpheus reached the outskirts of the Epicenter during sunrise. Dark purple crystals have spread so far and wide that it looked like a giant field of them. Morpheus knew each one of them holds a spirit. When the cursed was unleashed, those who have no intact body had their spirits crystallized. Long have these spirits laid dormant, waiting for their kin to unleash them into the world so they can wreak havoc and take revenge on their ancient foes: the dragons.**

**The only way to release he spirits from their curse is to destroy the bodies they possess. However, doing such a thing would be irrelevant because the number of spirits there is are uncountable. The only way to free them all is to destroy the Netherlord or having the entire dragon race wiped out. Looking into the sky, Morpheus noted that the dark aura has reached quite far and he realized there isn't much time. In order to buy some time for Spyro and Cynder to return to their city, he decided to wreak havoc in the middle of the enemy ranks. Morpheus raised his sword and ran towards the closest warrior, cutting it into pieces. While the enemies were still confused, he went on killing the others.**

**He fought his way to the nearly completed dark fortress which surrounded the Epicenter. The gates were larger than the gates of Warfang and twice as wide. They were so huge that even battering rams can't deal even a tiny dent as they were made of obsidian. Morpheus found a ladder that led up to the ramparts of the fortress and so he climbed it before any of the other undead warriors could get to him. On top of the ramparts, he continued to create destruction.**

"**My lord, there is an intruder wreaking havoc among our ranks!" a skeleton warrior reported to his master. The man in black spiky armor merely gave a dry laugh and got off his horse.**

"**Really now? I guess it has been a while since he and I met. Ask all the others to stop attacking him. Morpheus is mine to deal with," the man said darkly.**

**Morpheus was surprised when the skeleton warriors backed away from him. Suddenly, he heard someone clapping behind him. Turning around, he saw the man in black spiky armor. His entire body was covered in armor and the only things visible were his red eyes.**

"**Very good, Morpheus, I always knew an elite Imperial Warrior like you could deal extreme damages alone," the man said with a laugh.**

"**Baron Salvador, what a pleasant surprise to see you. It seems like your ambition to destroy the dragons is about to be fulfilled eh," Morpheus said.**

"**Close. When the dark aura covers their city of Warfang, my riders will ride out to battle and assault the city. My crow spies tell me that they have reinforcements and this means we have more dragons to kill. Am I right, boys?!" he asked his warriors.**

**The skeleton warriors cheered and there were so many of them. **

"**Morpheus my friend, have you come here to join us in our ambition of eliminating the dragons forever?" Salvador asked.**

"**Salvador that was 500 years ago. How can you hold a grudge against them for so long? Besides, it was Malefor who destroyed us," Morpheus said.**

"**If we do not destroy them, we couldn't rest in peace. You're not the only one who is sick of being unable to die peacefully. Besides, that is the only way," Salvador said with a slight hint of sadness.**

**His warriors also mumbled to each other, some of them seemed to have morose looks on their faces.**

"**You see Morpheus, even my men are waiting to be released form this curse of ours. If we don't destroy the dragons, we'll be forced to stay like this forever," Salvador said.**

"**Why not kill the Netherlord?" Morpheus asked dumbly.**

**Salvador stared at Morpheus with his malicious red eyes.**

"**So you knew the Emperor is actually the Netherlord?" Salvador asked with surprise.**

"**No but now that you've told me, I'll just waltz right in and take him out," Morpheus said.**

"**Morpheus you traitor, you can't kill him. He's too powerful and he is our master. If you dare enter the Netherworld and kill him, I'll make sure you stay dead," Salvador said angrily.**

**Morpheus stared at Salvador with angry eyes and held up his sword, preparing to fight.**

"**Don't stop me, Salvador. He is not our Emperor anymore and he deserves to die. I have no grudge against the dragons so I helped them, especially Spyro and Cynder. We are all dead and why bring another race with us to the depths of the Netherworld? They deserve to live and that is final," Morpheus said indignantly.**

"**Fine, maybe we should throw you into the Epicenter and let the Nether creatures consume you. Besides, you have no chance of winning. Get him," Salvador said darkly and pointed his sword at Morpheus. Instantly, the other skeleton warriors charged at him.**

**Back at Warfang, Valcor was polishing his sword when Terrador came into his room.**

"**Valcor, are you free to talk right now?" Terrador asked.**

"**I'm free anytime Terrador, just come in and we'll have a chat," Valcor said with a smile.**

**Terrador entered the room and sat down.**

"**Valcor, you're gifted with the Eye of Vision. Do you see anything about the outcome of our defense?" Terrador asked.**

"**You have the Pool of Vision. Why ask me?" Valcor asked back.**

"**Just for convenience since you're close by. Are you okay with that?" Terrador asked.**

"**Well, I suppose I could help," Valcor said and he closed his eyes to concentrate.**

**He saw something but what? It looked like a centaur yet it's so demonic. Something about that centaur that made him worried. Suddenly, he noticed the necklace of skulls and quickly opened his eyes, gasping for air.**

"**Valcor, what do you see?" Terrador asked quickly.**

"**I see a demonic centaur with a necklace of skulls. I saw him smiling at me and baring his fangs. Terrador, reinforcements of not, this battle is close to impossible," Valcor said, his pupils dilated due to fear.**

**Terrador felt his heart beat skip a few beats. Could it really be him? If it is, there is nothing the dragons could do to match that kind of power.**

"**Valcor, whatever it is, we should do our beast to defend Warfang. If not, we better hope he doesn't join in the siege on our city," Terrador said softly.**

"**My vision doesn't tell which battle he will participate in but it will tell that he will be in any battle we fight in. If it's not the siege on Warfang, then it might be any battles that occur in the future," Valcor said.**

"**Damn, I guess we don't have many options. Thank you for your help Valcor," Terrador said and he left the room.**

**As Terrador walked down an empty street, he met Volteer. He seemed excited. **

"**Terrador, Spyro and Cynder have returned!" Volteer said excitedly.**

"**Really? Thank the ancestors for that!" Terrador said happily.**

**At the ramparts, the two dragons were greeted by the elders and the Western Land dragons. They were quite happy to see him.**

"**Spyro my buddy, how goes your mission?" Flame asked while patting Spyro's purple back.**

"**I couldn't finish it because I have something more important to protect," Spyro said.**

"**You mean the dragon eggs? Someone had already got that covered," Ember said.**

"**I still need to protect the eggs and the city. Even if I do reach the Epicenter, it would be damn near impossible to defeat the Netherlord by any means," Spyro said.**

**He was hiding the fact that he needed to control his dark side in order to combat the Netherlord. **

"**Then I guess you've returned to help defend Warfang. We could use the extra help," Volteer said.**

"**I'm not much of a help but these blueprints are," Spyro said with a grin and handed Volteer some blueprints.**

**Volteer looked at it and had a surprised look on his face.**

"**My goodness, these are blueprints for human weaponry and armoring! Where did you get these?!" Volteer asked.**

"**We have our sources," Cynder said and winked to Spyro, who winked back at her.**

"**Maybe these could help turn the tide of battle for us. If the moles could engineer these things, we might have a chance to win with new weapons and armor. I'll go get them right away," Volteer said and he ran off.**

**As Volteer went away, Terrador shook his head.**

"**Even if the moles are capable of engineering these things, we won't have much time. The undead will be here even before they start," Terrador said.**

"**No, I doubt so. We have someone to buy us time while we get those things built," Cynder corrected.**

**Terrador opened his eyes wide with surprise.**

"**Who is that' someone'" Terrador asked.**

"**A human called Morpheus. He agreed to help us," Spyro said.**

"**How can a human be alive? I thought they have all become undead," Flame said.**

"**He is an undead but he has no grudge against us and he isn't under the control of the Netherlord…I think," Spyro said.**

"**You really didn't squeeze many answers out of him eh. If what you is true, then we may have some time, provided he lasts long enough for us to further prepare ourselves. Even so, I still don't trust this 'friend' of yours. Humans have been in war with us and even after their extinction, their restless souls still seek revenge," Cyril said sternly.**

"**They were cursed and they have no choice. The other alternative of freeing them from their curse is to destroy the Netherlord. I'm not saying that the Netherlord is actually Emperor Dresdner but that is what Morpheus suggested," Cynder said.**

**Morpheus didn't know and he only made this suggestion because it seemed right. Lol.**

"**Well, maybe we should all go into the Epicenter and kill the Netherlord…any volunteers?" Flame asked sarcastically.**

"**I'll go if you go," Spyro joked.**

"**Something doesn't add up…how is it that Morpheus isn't under the control of the desire to wipe out dragons?" Terrador asked Spyro.**

"**I'm not sure…maybe it's because he holds no grudge against us even though he was cursed. The book of necromancy that Igni…the Chronicler gave me must have woke him up," Spyro said while handing the book to Terrador.**

**Cyril raised an eyebrow as he looked at it.**

"**Now why would the Chronicler keep such a hideous- looking book? Spyro are you sure you're not lying to us?" Cyril asked suspiciously.**

"**I have no reason to lie. I didn't manage to ask how the Chronicler got the book but all I know is that he said this book is both good and evil," Spyro said patiently.**

**Terrador looked into the book and quickly covered it up.**

"**We better put this somewhere safe. Spyro, Cynder, now that you two are here, I need you to help bolster the city defenses. There are chores to do and it must be done before the invasion," Terrador said with authority.**

"**Chores?" Cynder asked as she cocked her head quizzically.**

"**The moles are adding additional fortifications to the city walls so I need you to help out. Let's hope it's enough to hold them off," Terrador explained to Cynder.**

**Then, Chief Prowlus came by, panting heavily. By the looks in his eyes, something spelt trouble.**

"**Terrador, you wouldn't believe this but I see undead riders heading for Warfang. You must not let them soften you up," Prowlus said while panting hard.**

"**How can this be? I thought the undead can't ride out in sunlight," said a dumbfounded Cyril.**

"**They chased after us even in broad daylight. I guess they are the more elite of warriors," Spyro said.**

**Suddenly, they heard loud screeches and when they turned around to where the sound came from, they saw a whole army of riders. The lead one was rather familiar and Terrador recognized him. 500 years ago, young Terrador and the lead rider fought each other during the Northern Plains Campaign. **

"**Darius," Terrador hissed darkly.**

**He recognized the way he held his staff and sword even though his face was completely decayed.**

"**Sound the alarms and prepare to ward them off!" Terrador yelled out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Present for the Dragons**

**Terrador fired an Earth shot towards the lead rider, Darius. Darius directed his skeleton phoenix to the left and avoided the incoming shot while firing 6 magic missiles back at Terrador. Terrador moved aside and the missiles exploded at a building behind him. The other magic-casting riders burned the city with fire spells and destroyed buildings with explosive spells. **

"**They're really annoying," Flame growled.**

"**Flame, Ember, leave the rampart defenses to us and go call Valcor here!" Terrador called out.**

**The two nodded and left without hesitation. One rider tried to hit Terrador with his sword but before he could close in on the Earth Dragon, Cyril leapt at the rider and brought him to the ground, his 2 ton body crushing the rider and his ride together.**

"**Ha, our weight sure comes in handy," Cyril smiled.**

**Two fire bolts flew at him and he nullified them with his ice breath before taking to the skies to fight. The other dragons also took to the skies and fought a in a large sky battle. The cheetahs that arrived couldn't do much as the enemies were too high up to shoot at. With the help of the moles though, they used the ballistae to shoot the enemies down.**

"**Darius, I thought you'd return someday," Terrador growled as he confronted his nemesis.**

"**Terrador old buddy, I can't believe you look so old," the rider mocked and fired a fireball at Terrador.**

"**At least I'm not a bag of bones like you," said Terrador as he evaded the shot.**

"**That is what makes me move a bit quicker. You need to lose some weight there," Darius hissed mockingly at Terrador and laughed manically.**

**Terrador was peeved by his mocking and he always was when he fought Darius 500 years ago. He was like a hyena and he always laughed like a maniac. However, Terrador knew that his laughter is usually accompanied by the death of a few friends. Darius was dangerous.**

"**C'mon Terry boy, come give Uncle Darius some power of soil!" Darius said in a maniacal way.**

**Terrador fired an Earth breath at close range, knocking Darius off his ride but Darius had learned levitation and he could stand in midair. He coolly walked back to his phoenix and got onto it again.**

"**You certainly are annoying you know that?" Terrador asked.**

"**Heh heh heh, but I'm having fun! Won't you too?" Darius asked back.**

**Suddenly, Spyro head butted the phoenix and threw it down to the ground, killing it. Darius turned to see who it was.**

"**So this is the purple savior everyone, even my kin, has been talking about. Heh heh heh, you wanna know something kid?" Darius asked with a grin.**

"**What?" Spyro asked cautiously.**

"**Like a famous saying of Confucius say: Die!" Darius said and he dashed at Spyro with his sword pointed straight at him.**

**Spyro rolled aside and avoided the stab, stabbing Darius with his tail at the same time. Darius turned around and blew at the orb head of his staff, releasing a jet of flames like a dragon's breath. Spyro shot back and the two jets of flames clashed together. Darius' flame overcame Spyro's flame but Spyro managed to dodge aside. **

"**Terrador, he's tough," Spyro said while panting from too much energy exertion.**

"**I know but there is a way to defeat him. He is only powerful when he has his staff. Without it, he can't cast magic. However, beware of his sword. It is designed to deal maximum damage to dragons and might kill you instantly if you're not careful," Terrador said while pointing at Darius.**

"**Hey, it's not nice pointing fingers at people!" Darius yelled out.**

**Spyro nodded and charged at Darius. Before Darius could cast a spell, Spyro knocked the staff out of his hands. Darius tried grabbing it but Spyro caught it first and snapped the staff into two with his powerful bite.**

"**You little wretch! That staff took me 5 years to construct!" Darius howled angrily.**

"**Too bad, I guess you won't need it anymore when I'm done with you!" Spyro mocked.**

**Darius swung his sword at Spyro and took a slice of him at his back, scraping off some sensitive scales. Spyro let out a roar of pain as the sword hit him. Spyro nearly fell out of the sky but Terrador helped him up.**

"**You can do it Spyro," Terrador said as he patted Spyro.**

**Spyro took another shot at Darius, ignoring the pain of his wound. He can't block Darius' sword attacks but he can evade them easily as Darius was slow with the sword.**

"**Stand still purple boy, I want a piece of you!" Darius yelled.**

**Spyro saw an opening in his attack and charged forth. He gave Darius and uppercut before hitting him down on the stomach with a vertical spin kick. Darius rolled and recovered before he touched the ground and launched at Spyro. He threw his sword at Spyro, which the purple dragon easily evaded but it came around like a boomerang and hit Spyro. Luckily for him, the hilt of the sword, not the blade, hit his head.**

"**Spyro, finish him off and free him from his misery!" Terrador yelled out.**

**Spyro used his lighting breath to direct the sword away, making it fall to the ground with a loud clang. Darius wanted to go after it but Terrador grabbed Darius by the neck and sat on him as they landed on the ground. Terrador's heavy weight reduced the skeleton mage knight into a pile of bones. Terrador noted that his spirit has left and disappeared and he thought he saw Darius' spirit wave at him before ascending above. Terrador smiled and took Darius' skull with the lower jaw missing and tossed it far away.**

"**At least that is the last of him," Terrador said.**

**Spyro didn't stay around to rest. He turned and headed for the skies, joining the battle with others. Without the leader, it didn't take them long to finish off the rest of the riders.**

"**Damage report," Cyril said to Volteer.**

"**So far the damage has been minor. Nothing seriously damaged besides a few burnt walls and broken rafters," Volteer said quickly.**

"**Well, at least you made it short rather than trying to tell me which part of the building has how many holes," Cyril said thankfully.**

**Cynder landed beside Spyro and embraced him, nuzzling his neck.**

"**I saw you get hurt but thank the ancestors you're not dead," Cynder said happily.**

"**It's gonna take more than that to take me down," Spyro said with a warm smile.**

"**Spyro, Cynder, let's all get busy now. Those riders were here to test our defenses and no doubt the enemy might have gotten a glimpse of our place. Let's hope we can surprise them during their next attack," Terrador said.**

**At the Epicenter, Morpheus had caused great damage to the enemy but alas, he was subdued. They stripped him of his armor and weapons, leaving him in a cloth shirt and leather pants. Salvador shook his head and punched Morpheus' face with his spiked gauntlet, causing him to bleed.**

"**You certainly are strong, Morpheus, but foolish nonetheless," Salvador said.**

**He crouched down on one knee and looked at Morpheus' face, smiling mockingly under his helmet.**

"**But then again, you're nothing without your mithril armor and weapons," Salvador continued.**

**Morpheus spat a mouthful of blood at Salvador and used his head to butt Salvador's stomach. Salvador fell to the ground but got up again and kicked Morpheus so hard he somersaulted. **

"**You dragon lover, I'll make sure the Netherlord punishes you for your betrayal. You'll regret it so much that you'll scream his name for mercy," Salvador said angrily before turning his back on Morpheus and headed for the armory.**

"**Come back here coward!" Morpheus yelled out but Salvador ignored him.**

**Morpheus cursed quietly under his breath and stared at the other skeleton warriors. They stared back at him; some of them had compassionate looks while the others scowled at him. **

"**Listen my kin; you don't have to kill the entire dragon race to free yourself from the curse. You can kill the Netherlord. Look, it's Malefor that incited our hatred towards the dragons and we've lived alongside them very well. You can't blame the entire race just because of one dragon's actions. Think about it," Morpheus said.**

**The skeleton warriors mumbled something to each other but they did not say if they approve of what Morpheus said or not.**

"**Not all of you hate dragons and I know that. Don't lie to me; I know some of you even acted as spies for the dragons. I understand that. We have such compassion towards our suffering companions that we can't help but take pity on them as our race encroach upon their lands. Is it not our faults that the dragons decided to wage war on us? We are in the wrong but yet we hate them. I ask you solemnly, do we even have the right to hate them? As for Malefor, he's a different story. He is evil and that is his wrong, not the entire dragon race," Morpheus continued, hoping to change the minds of the skeleton warriors.**

**Some nodded in approval but others just spat at him and hit him. Morpheus was unfazed though.**

"**Those who hit me dare not admit they are friends with the dragons. To those who listened to me, listen to what more I have to say. Join me and we will save the dragon race from destruction. We will save them from the Wrath of the Netherlord!" Morpheus yelled out.**

"**Shut up, dumbass!" one warrior yelled angrily. He was hit by his comrades who decided to side with Morpheus.**

**The entire army went into a confused melee, not knowing who sided with Morpheus or who remained loyal to the Netherlord. However, those who wanted to help save the dragons and side with Morpheus slowly regained their flesh and muscles. They slowly looked more human and were more distinguishable. Even the blacksmiths and armorers rioted and took sides. The entire undead army was thrown into disarray that even Salvador can't do much about it. He glared at Morpheus who in turn glared back with a triumphant smile.**

"**You'll pay for that, Morpheus Stormcrow!" Baron Salvador yelled and he charged at him with his sword unsheathed.**

**Morpheus waited for Salvador to get close. Then, he kicked at Salvador with his two legs and rolled up from the ground again, standing on his feet. He ran to a wall and ran up the wall a bit before doing a somersault over a crowd of brawling warriors. One sword snagged the ropes that bound his hands, cutting it and releasing Morpheus. He fought using only using his bare fists while looking for his equipment.**

"**Stop this rebellion at once!" Salvador yelled out aloud but no one heeded him. The sounds became louder as artilleries and steam-powered tanks fired shots at each other.**

**Salvador saw Morpheus waiting for him with a serrate sword in his right arm. They were surrounded by fighting warriors and they somehow created a circle for the two men to have a showdown.**

"**I clearly underestimated you. However, you are still outnumbered and if you break any crystals, you'll be releasing vengeful spirits and that would spawn more soldiers for me," Salvador said.**

"**Even spirits can stop to hear what I have to say," Morpheus smiled.**

**The two clashed swords and threw magic attacks at each other in a spectacular display of skill and speed. Each clash with the sword sent sparks everywhere and each magic bolts that clashed created light so bright it was like a flashbang flash. **

**Just then, the entire ground split open and sharp rocks shot out like missiles. Lava flowed out and engulfed both rebels and loyal warriors alike.**

"**Great, now you've incited the anger of the Netherlord," Salvador hissed.**

"**Then we'll just run away. Dear followers of the freedom cause, follow me to Warfang! We will meet our dragon friends there!" Morpheus yelled out.**

**The rebels followed Morpheus out of the place, ignoring the attacks that were thrown at them. Many were killed but a considerable number of them escaped unharmed and took flight, taking with them a number of tanks and artilleries. It would be some luck for the dragons because Morpheus' persuasion led to the disarray of the undead army, buying at least 5 days worth of time to prepare.**

**At Warfang, Spyro was surprised to see the dark aura receding. Terrador wandered what happened at the Epicenter.**

"**It must be Morpheus causing that much of a trouble to the undead army. If it is, it must mean he has succeeded in distracting them," Cynder said happily.**

"**Let's hope he dealt enough damage to them," Spyro said.**

"**Let's not get too happy, Spyro. Your friend only delayed the inevitable so you still have chores to do," Cyril said.**

"**Can't we…" Cynder started but Cyril cut her off.**

"**BACK TO WORK NOW!" he yelled.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Ruins of Trilith**

**One day later, Spyro was told by Ignitus to visit to ruins of Trilith, the human race's holy city. He obliged and went there with Cynder, Flame and Ember. It was not far from Warfang and a two hour flight was enough. The group of four landed at the ruined gates, a symbol of superb engineering of a once mighty race. Flame gave a low whistle and looked up and down the gate, admiring it.**

"**Compared to the gates of Warfang, this one is a monstrosity. It has to be 2 times bigger," the red dragon said.**

"**It is their holy city after all. If the gates are so big, I wonder how Malefor managed to crush it down," Cynder wondered.**

"**Malefor doesn't necessarily need to break down a gate to invade the city. He can fly over walls and attack the city from the inside," Flame said coolly.**

"**Oh yeah," Cynder said muttered.**

**She caught Ember looking at Spyro with a flirty expression. She emitted a low growl in her throat and caught Ember's attention. The pink dragoness slowly backed off and the black dragoness let out a breath of black shadow and gave an angry nod at Ember before turning around to walk beside Spyro.**

"**I'll get that lizard later," Ember growled.**

**The four walked past the gates and into the grassy ruins of a once mighty city. They looked around and talked among themselves. Somehow Flame knew much about the city than any of them do. He talked like as if he was some history teacher and Spyro hated history.**

"**Flame, cut down on the details of Trilith. I have enough of history lessons from you," Spyro said.**

"**Okay but you're gonna miss out on the parts where I tell you about the hidden treasure troves and most importantly, the golden skull of Lord Bristoph," Flame said in faked secrecy.**

"**Yeah, nice try Flame but I'm not going to fall for it. If there were a treasure trove and this so-called golden skull of Lord Bristoph, they would've been found by the moles," Spyro said with a smirk.**

"**Okay but if you don't believe me, it's your loss. If I get hold on those things, I'll be rich enough to buy Ember and me a new pair of shoes and maybe even a large villa," Flame said while dreaming about the things he said.**

"**Boy, are you pathetic or what," Cynder joked.**

**Ember head butted Cynder and growled at her.**

"**Don't you talk about Flame like that you black lizard!" she growled.**

"**Lizard?! You're the one to talk!" Cynder said angrily as she turned around to face Ember.**

"**Whoa there ladies, keep it cool," Flame said.**

"**Shut up!" the two dragonesses said in unison.**

**They growled at each other and were about to fight when the two dragons retrained them. Cynder writhed about in Spyro's grasp while Ember did likewise in Flame's. **

"**Let me go, I'll tear that talking strawberry apart!" Cynder roared.**

"**I'll turn her into lizard paste!" Ember yelled back.**

**Flame covered Ember's mouth and hushed her up.**

"**What is with you? I never knew you were that aggressive," Flame said with a stern expression.**

"**Cynder my love, why are you so aggressive all of a sudden?" Spyro asked softly.**

"**It's that Ember. She has bad intentions and she wants to take you away from me," Cynder hissed.**

"**Now Cynder, we've talked about this. You and I are one, we belong to each other. I promised to you that I wouldn't leave you for any dragoness," Spyro said.**

**Cynder struggled a bit before giving up. She nodded her head and Spyro let her go. Flame did so and they went on their way. The four dragons reached the ruins of the High Court as instructed by the Chronicler, Ignitus, to Spyro. The purple dragon did not tell them the reason on why they were here but he only said that his instincts told him so.**

"**Spyro, now that we're here, perhaps you would like to tell me the reason on why we're here," Flame said.**

"**Okay, listen closely. We need to find the remains of the human emperor, Dresdner. I was told that when the entire human race died, their bodies were left where they were, especially in Trilith. Nobody bothered to move them," Spyro said.**

"**But we're talking about a 500 year time span here. I'm not sure we'll find any remains," Ember said thoughtfully.**

"**Okay, then could you explain why there are so many skeleton soldiers out there?" Spyro asked.**

**Ember said nothing else and kept quiet.**

"**The curse prevents their bones from decaying so we should be able to find bones that are not resurrected," Spyro said.**

"**We're doing this because?" Cynder asked quizzically.**

"**Because if we find Emperor Dresdner's skeleton, we can confirm if he resurrected or not. Some say that he is the Netherlord while others say that he is a skeleton warrior at best and some even say he never resurrected at all. We're gonna make sure of a few things so we can come up with something to defeat the Emperor if he is really the Netherlord," Spyro clarified.**

"**So, we're looking for bones so we can come up with a plan? Doesn't sound relevant," Cynder joked.**

**Flame pushed on the High Court doors but it wouldn't budge. He head butted the door and kicked it over and over again but it refused to budge.**

"**I can't open it. It must be locked from the inside. Spyro, Cynder, you two go in and unlock the door while me and Ember will wait out here for your signal," Flame said.**

**There was another way to enter the High Court but it was an underground sewer and the complex labyrinths of the sewer ways were rather confusing. Many times they had walked in circles and some were dead ends. Add to that, plenty of hostile creatures, including some of Gaul's surviving apes, inhabit the sewers. To their surprise, some of the apes were rather helpful and they helped the two dragons find their way out of the sewer and into the High Court.**

"**Why are you so nice?" Spyro asked an ape.**

"**We have no reason to fight alongside our brethren during their quest for power. We only wanted peace and nothing more. Some of our brethren still hunger for power and no doubt they'll hurt you and offer you to the Dark Master. What those fools don't know is that Malefor is already dead," a large ape said.**

"**We're glad to help you but beware of the Sleeping King that resides in the court," another smaller-sized ape said.**

"**The Sleeping King?" Cynder asked.**

"**Some scary undead living within the ruined halls. While we come out to look for food, we sometimes encounter him. I wouldn't cross his path if I were you," the large ape said.**

"**He must be strong," Cynder said.**

"**Aye, he is young missy. If you do see him, don't move. He'll attack only when he sees something move. If you are in his way, move slowly," the large ape warned.**

**Just as the apes were about to leave, Spyro called out to them.**

"**Wait, what are your names?" he asked out aloud.**

**The apes stopped and the lead large ape turned to face Spyro.**

"**I'm Venomtooth, Gaul's former general," he said.**

"**Wouldn't you help us in the war with the undead?" Spyro asked again.**

**Venomtooth shook his head and set his sword on the ground.**

"**This is your war, not ours. We wish not to participate and besides, I don't think your elders will be happy to see me," the ape replied before leaving. "I was the one who destroyed the brood of dragon eggs that you were from," he muttered to himself.**

**The two dragons explored the halls and peeked around corners to spot for the so-called Sleeping King. When they reached the main door, they opened it. Flame and Ember entered before closing the door again; a big mistake. When they walked down a corridor, they heard sounds of metal clanking together and a low screech. They quickly hid behind a pillar and waited.**

**The noise got louder and louder until they saw a skeleton limp past them; its body was covered in rusted armor. The skeleton had a yellow glow about it, illuminating the dark halls. Besides the light it emitted, the other light source came from the sun which shone through holes in the roof, creating some kind of creepy effect.**

"**Is that the Sleeping King you're talking about?" Ember asked.**

"**I think so," was the answer from Spyro.**

"**I doubt it. He doesn't look like he's sleeping," Flame mumbled.**

**The skeleton rounded a corner and disappeared. The four took the chance and headed for the next hall and again they saw the same skeleton with a yellow glow.**

"**Hey, how can a limping skeleton move so fast?" asked a confused Cynder.**

**The skeleton stopped, inspecting the area round it for any movement. Ember moved a bit to adjust herself but to the skeleton, her movements were negligible so it ignored her and moved on, rounding a corner. Flame noticed the emblem on its armor was different even though the skeleton looked the same.**

"**Different guy from just now. Come on, we're close to the main hall," he whispered.**

**They slipped past a few more skeletons and reached the main court, closing the doors slowly. The court was well lit, sunlight flooding through large windows. The air was musty over the centuries and the furniture was dusty. There was a throne and a skeleton lay there, as if asleep.**

"**Maybe that's the Sleeping King," Ember said while inspecting the skeleton. **

"**It couldn't be. The Chronicler told me that he was thrown into a wall and not left on his throne to die. No one could've possibly moved the emperor's body onto the throne again," Spyro said.**

"**Dude, I said nothing about Dresdner," Flame scowled.**

"**Who else can be king except Dresdner?" Spyro asked back, challenging Flame.**

**Suddenly, the skeleton stirred and got up, shaking its head and adjusting its lower jaw.**

"**Whoa, I needed that," the skeleton said.**

**He saw the dragons but instead of attacking them, he gave them a grin and waved his hand at them.**

"**Well, it seems like we have visitors," he said.**

"**Wait, aren't you gonna attack us or something?" Flame asked while pointing his sword at the skeleton.**

"**Heavens no, why would I do that?" the skeleton asked.**

"**I dunno…maybe it's because you're a human and you hate dragons," Flame said.**

**The skeleton laughed and slapped his hand on his face. He plucked his head, to Ember's disgust, and held it in his right hand.**

"**I don't hate dragons and I have no reason to fight them. Hell, I'm only a court jester and what do I know?" he said goofily.**

**Flame looked at the head and the headless body. He gave an amused snicker.**

"**Maybe that explains your goofy attitude," Flame said.**

"**I am a jester after all," said the skull while he commanded his body to dig the nasal holes.**

"**Are you the Sleeping King?" Spyro asked suddenly.**

"**Sleeping King? If I were king, I wouldn't be in this dead end job, my inability to die is making it worse," the skull said while grinning.**

**He juggled his own head and deftly slid it back into place with a sleight of hand.**

"**The apes must have told you that, right?" he asked.**

"**Yeah, how do you know?" Cynder asked.**

"**Bah, I've caught them messing around with me when I was having my Zs. Those jokers couldn't resist toying around with my entertainment equipments," he said while pointing at a pile of them at a corner.**

**He took a Jack-in-the –box and spun the handle, creating some sort of funny music. A Rotting clown doll popped out at the end, giving the four dragons a scare.**

"**I don't find this funny," Spyro said.**

"**Neither do I," the skeleton muttered.**

**He put down the box and sat on the throne again.**

"**You must have something in mind to come to Trilith. What is it that you want to know?" he asked while leaning his head on his right hand.**

"**Um…we were just wondering if you know where Emperor Dresdner's body is," Spyro said.**

"**What about his body? If you're looking for that old geezer's bones, I'm afraid you're too late. The day he died, his body went missing instantly. However, I do recall seeing a bright light engulfing his body after that dreaded Malefor left the room. I thought I saw Kharnak but I told myself that my eyes must be playing tricks on me so I didn't give it another thought," the skeleton said lamely.**

"**Wait, did you say Kharnak?" Spyro asked.**

"**Yes, I did. I must be delusional," the jester said while shaking his head.**

"**I'm not sure about you but I don't think we should take it lightly," Cynder said.**

"**Well kids, it is not of my concern and I really feel that it is better when the world is destroyed. This curse is getting on my nerves," the skeleton complained.**

**He got up and looked out the window.**

"**I can tell you this: Dresdner never liked dragons. He was a ruthless ruler like the rest of the previous emperors. He hated dragons and his speech about 'preserving dragons' were all bullshit. This bloke isn't any different from Malefor and equally as evil-hearted as that damn purple dragon. Now that he doesn't own Trilith anymore, I can rule this little utopia he left behind. Now head on home before the guards catch you in here. Just fly out the window and the winds will bring you back home safely," the jester said.**

"**Well, at least that confirms that Dresdner has something to do with the Netherlord," Spyro said to his comrades.**

**The dragons leapt out the window and rode with winds back to Warfang within an hour. When they returned Warfang, they saw Volteer driving a tank and it gave them an impression of an adult dragon driving a baby's cart. Flame can't help but laugh.**

"**Are you sure this thing can last long?" Volteer asked a mole.**

**Suddenly, it broke into pieces under his sheer weight. The steam engine released a single puff of steam before dying out.**

"**Never mind my question," he said with embarrassment.**

**Volteer saw the four dragons and quickly got up and headed towards them.**

"**So, what have you to tell?" Volteer asked.**

"**Well, Dresdner has something to do with either Kharnak or he is the Netherlord," Flame said while trying to resist laughing out loud.**

"**Hmm, this is most disturbing. I'll go tell Cyril and Terrador about it," Volteer said.**

**Cynder went up to the mole who was inspecting the pieces of the broken tank. He shook his head and sighed.**

"**I guess dragons weren't meant to drive tanks. At least we know it works," the mole said while adjusting his glasses.**

"**So you guys can get it working?" Cynder asked.**

"**So far this prototype had no problems and we managed to improve the steam engines for higher power output. I must say the humans can create really complex things," the mole said.**

**He picked up the important pieces and headed back to the workshop. Cynder issued a smile to Spyro, who smiled back in return. **

"**At least this gift is the best Morpheus can give me. Speaking of Morpheus, I hope he's okay," Spyro said while looking at the sky.**

**Morpheus and his rebels were slowed down by the rain that poured in the forest. He was hoping to reach Warfang quickly but the tanks and artilleries were slowing him down.**

"**C'mon, Warfang is not far from here!" he yelled.**

**Suddenly, someone stood in his way…a centaur with a shield and sword. He glared at Morpheus and smiled evilly.**

"**Kharnak…how could this be?!" Morpheus asked himself in fear.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I **do not own any of the Spyro characters but I do own Raveshaw, Valcor, the undead and the entire human race. Constructive criticism is welcome and you are free to give ideas. Also, a word of thanks to those who read my fic.

**Chapter 9: Some peace**

**The purple dragon decided to see how the moles worked on the projects the next day. He was keen on seeing the process. From what he heard from the chief engineer Raveshaw, the tank production was a go and the moles were busy constructing steam tanks. As for the mithril armor…he said he can't find any metal called mithril because it doesn't exist in nature and it was hard for them to construct such an alloy. They were tougher than dragon scales and were light in comparison to normal armor but quite expensive. Only rich warriors can afford mithril armor. Raveshaw said multiple sheets of metal, including titanium, were pressed together to form a hard and light alloy. With steam engines at their disposal, the moles now had better chances of constructing things.**

"**Spyro, I must thank you for bringing back such useful things. With steam engines in our disposal, we can create far better things than any coal engines can do. Just imagine the potential," Raveshaw said excitedly.**

"**Actually, my human friend Morpheus gave me those blueprints. If you want to thank someone, thank him," Spyro said.**

"**A human friend? Hmm…I was never told of a friendship between humans and dragons," Raveshaw muttered while stroking his beard.**

"**Yeah well, I have a friend who doesn't hate dragons. If it weren't for Morpheus, the undead would have invaded our city already," Spyro said.**

**The mole looked at the sky and nodded.**

"**That is true according to what Terrador said. Perhaps this friend of yours just bought us some time to construct a sizable tank force. I can't guarantee mithril armor for everyone so I'll make some for you, Cynder and Valcor," Raveshaw said while trying to push up the hair that had drooped over his eyes.**

"**Gee, thanks for that," Spyro said smilingly.**

"**Nah, don't mention it," Raveshaw said dismissively.**

**He got back to the drawing board and showed Spyro his latest machine.**

"**Human steam tanks have one barrel for attacking but I'm going one step further. Not only am I going to increase the armor and size of the tank, I want to add another cannon barrel to the turret to make it capable of firing two shots. That is, of course, the engine allows it. It must be within the engine's operational perimeter or it'll blow," Raveshaw explained.**

**Spyro looked at the diagram and shook his head. **

"**It looks rather cumbersome," Spyro said with a raised eyebrow.**

"**It is and that is why it is powered by two steam engines. This tank is technologically advanced and we are certain we can win our enemy's tanks," Raveshaw said confidently.**

**Then, a large tank stopped beside Spyro and the moles exited the tank, letting Raveshaw to his inspection job.**

"**How do you guys catch on so fast?" Spyro asked as Raveshaw inspected the tank.**

"**We are not only builders, we are master engineers. We may not know how the humans do it but we can imitate and improve upon certain things that we have not built before. It may seem like I'm lying but it's the truth. My grandfather Arthur the IV was a master builder and he never built walls made of steel but when he was shown a blueprint and method of doing it right, I tell you, not only did he improve upon it, he and his men made the walls like pros," Raveshaw said while inspecting the inside of the tank.**

"**Must be a natural talent for moles," Spyro said lamely.**

"**You bet it is," one mole said.**

**After a while, Raveshaw came out from the tank, sweating profusely. He wiped his glasses and put it on again, peering at Spyro. **

"**Want to give it a try?" Raveshaw asked.**

**Spyro's eyes suddenly sparkled from the offer. He grinned and nodded.**

"**You really let me do that?" Spyro asked happily.**

"**Hold there Eager Beaver, you're not going alone. One tank takes 5 moles to operate and don't expect to operate alone. Take it for a spin around Warfang if you like," Raveshaw said.**

**At a tavern, Flame was flipping a coin while waiting for Valcor to make his next move in the game of Black Jack. Valcor's face might as well been chiseled from stone for all the emotions he showed. His expression was so neutral that Flame wasn't sure if he is winning or not.**

"**Well, it has been 30 seconds," Flame said.**

"**Are you sure you want me to go ahead with my answer," Valcor asked with a neutral expression.**

"**Yeah and the others are all waiting for you," Flame said impatiently.**

**Valcor smiled and laid down his cards. It was a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades.**

"**I win. Now pay up," Valcor said.**

"**Hey, no fair! You had the Eyesight of Vision and you must have used it!" Kai accused.**

"**How can you accuse me of something I'm not doing?" the dragon asked with a sly smile.**

"**Yeah well, remember the time when you played poker? You were on a winning streak and not even a loss at the end of the day!" the cyan dragon complained.**

"**What about it? It only proved you have no talent," Valcor mocked.**

"**Why I outta!" Kai started but Valcor pushed him down to his seat.**

"**Relax Kei, I was just joking. But really, I didn't use my vision. When I was a young dragon, my peers used to call me Lucky V and for good reason. Many things I've done, no matter how hard or impossible, seem to have a positive outcome. I was convinced I was blessed by the Dragon of Luck," Valcor said.**

"**Lucky you," Flame muttered.**

**The girls just rolled their eyes and set down their cards. Just then, they heard a rumble outside and saw a massive vehicle before them.**

"**Wow, is it me or am I seeing something with wheels?" Jeanne said.**

**Spyro came out of it and grinned.**

"**What do you think of the mole's latest toy?" he asked.**

"**I think that is the most weird-looking thing in Warfang," Kei said.**

"**What does it do?" Valcor asked.**

"**Watch this," Spyro said.**

**He entered the tank and turned the turret somewhere and fired two shots. There were two massive sonic booms as the cannons fired and two booms from the exploding shells moments later. The shells had hit a building and made two holes in it.**

"**Now that is what I call firepower," Valcor smiled.**

**Suddenly, Cyril peered out of the hole.**

"**Hey, what have you done to my study room?! You kids better explain yourselves!" Cyril yelled out.**

"**Uh oh, your shots just blew holes in Cyril's study," Valcor muttered.**

**As a punishment, Spyro was made to do some toilet cleaning and helping out Cyril in his office. Lol.**

**Cynder was at the pool, soaking herself and basking under the hot sun. Just then, she felt something cold beside a cheek and let out a yelp. Turning around, she saw Spyro with a bucket of ice. He grinned at her.**

"**Spyro, what did you do that for?!" she asked angrily.**

"**You looked hot so I decided to cool you down a bit," he said.**

**Cynder looked at the bucket of ice and scowled.**

"**What are these for?" she asked.**

"**Cyril is testing on something top secret, so secret that he can't remember why he wanted the ice for," Spyro quipped.**

**Cynder chuckled and kissed Spyro. Her kisses seem so natural and she does not only kiss under romantic circumstances.**

"**He needs to chill," Cynder said.**

"**He already has the license to chill," Spyro corrected.**

**Terrador watched them from far and smiled. Even in these dark times, the dragons were still laid back and relaxed, though he felt that they should be practicing their combat skills. To Terrador, to win a battle was to fight with pure strength and he would usually make rookies spar each other but Spyro and Cynder seemed strong enough. **

"**They look so care free," he said to himself.**

**Suddenly, from the top of his tower, Terrador saw a signal flare flying into the sky and lighting up. The flare was a human flare and it usually meant trouble. Not wanting to drag Spyro out of his rest, he flew towards the launch point of the flare to investigate things.**

**Morpheus hid behind a tree while trying to avoid Kharnak. The demonic centaur nearly wiped out his entire battalion and now he was after Morpheus after he threw a spear at Kharnak. While the survivors escaped to Warfang, Morpheus played hide-and-seek with the God of Destruction.**

"**Come out Morpheus, you can't hide forever," Kharnak growled.**

"**I can't but I'm gonna play a game with you," Morpheus taunted.**

**The two had been doing this since Kharnak attacked them yesterday evening. Morpheus was leading him deeper and deeper into the forest until he wasn't sure where he was. He couldn't hear the sound of the Great River and it usually meant trouble. Added to his woe was his hunger. **

"**Oh, what game are you trying to play," Kharnak said while playing along, apparently enjoying the game of cat and mouse.**

"**I call this game seek-and-kill," Morpheus said.**

**He peeked over the corner of a tree he was hiding behind and fired a rifle shot at Kharnak. The centaur was hit in the head but the wound regenerated and healed instantly.**

"**That was a potshot," Kharnak said.**

**He stabbed his sword into the ground and fell all the trees within a 100 meter radius. Morpheus dodged aside as a tree was about to fall on him. Kharnak saw him and ran towards him with his shield raised, attempting to bash Morpheus. Morpheus fired a flare into the air and continued running but he can't outrun Kharnak because he has the speed of a mustang. Morpheus suddenly turned around and slid below Kharnak, cutting his belly. Kharnak fell and rebounded again.**

"**That was unexpected and foolhardy. You shall regret doing that," Kharnak said while his eyes glowed red.**

"**No one tells me what I regret," Morpheus said and raised his sword.**

**Before Kharnak charged at him, Terrador suddenly fell from the sky and sat on the centaur. Even if he was the God of Destruction, he couldn't beat the weight of an adult dragon. His arms flexed and struggled as Terrador set his entire weight on him.**

"**Thank the gods some dragon has arrived," Morpheus said thankfully.**

"**So, I reckon you're the 'friend' Spyro has been talking about," Terrador said.**

"**So the purple dragon has returned safely. My name is Morpheus," the man introduced himself.**

"**I'm Terrador, Spyro's combat mentor. It's a pleasure to meet you," the green dragon replied.**

"**Likewise. Listen; have my battalion reach Warfang yet?" Morpheus asked.**

"**I've instructed them to take the Avalar Pass so they can reach Warfang faster. I can assure that they are safe," Terrador said.**

"**Thank you but let's get out of here," Morpheus said while looking at the flexing arms of Kharnak under Terrador.**

**Terrador looked down and nodded.**

"**Come, let me help you with that," he said.**

**Terrador grabbed Morpheus by the shoulders and took to the skies. After some distance, Kharnak got up and adjusted his head back into place.**

"**So that dragon wants to play rough eh. This is going to be fun," Kharnak grinned evilly.**

**The centaur disappeared into a cloud of dark mist and dissipated. Back at Warfang, the humans were greeted by the moles and dragons. Though they were still suspicious of them, they decided to give them the benefit of doubt. Moments later, Morpheus arrived into the city.**

"**Morpheus, you're alive!" Spyro said happily.**

"**Aye, I am and I caused the enemy a great deal of damage. I hope I've bought you enough time," Morpheus said while wiping a sweat drip off his face.**

"**More than enough and you even brought in extra help. We really must thank you for that," Cynder said.**

"**It was nothing. Now we should really concentrate on building more defense cannons and guard towers to further defend Warfang. I need all your help," Morpheus said.**

"**You can count on us. We're the fastest builders there is," Raveshaw said.**

"**Good, that will do. With our combined efforts, no one can stop us," Morpheus smiled.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Siege on Warfang**

**On the 5****th**** day after Morpheus created havoc in the enemy ranks, the dark aura emitting from the Epicenter finally shrouded Warfang. The sun was blocked out and everything felt eerie. Spyro felt intense darkness and felt something in him but he quickly squelched that feeling for he was afraid that his dark side was being tempted.**

"**They'll reach Warfang in 4 hours. Make final preparations for the battle," Terrador told the warriors.**

**Tank production has ceased and they have an army of tanks to fend off the enemy but the dragon elders were not sure if it'll be enough. Even if Morpheus and the rebels pledged their allegiance to the dragons, Terrador wasn't sure if he could trust them or not. His heart told him they were good but his mind recalled the war between the dragons and humans. They were once enemies and the dragons find it hard to trust them. Terrador wondered how Spyro and Cynder came to trust Morpheus so quickly.**

**Morpheus looked at the distance and sighed. He kept his sword and sat cross-legged on the ground.**

"**So, judgment day arrives," Morpheus said.**

"**Are you implying that we'll be defeated?" Cyril asked Morpheus.**

"**I never said anything about being defeated," Morpheus said softly.**

"**Well, with you people here, I doubt we'll even win," Cyril said.**

"**You underestimate us, dragon. You haven't seen us in battle yet," Morpheus said lamely, not trying to start an argument.**

"**Now wait just a minute," Cyril started but Terrador cut him off.**

"**That is enough Cyril, we have let them join us in battle so let's not change our minds," Terrador hissed.**

**Cyril mumbled something and went back to his defensive position.**

"**I'm sorry that Cyril doesn't trust you," Terrador apologized but Morpheus waved his hand dismissively.**

"**I don't blame him after what we've been through 500 years ago," Morpheus said with a wry smile. "There is nothing to apologize about," he continued.**

**Spyro moved beside Cynder and they stared at the distance. There was a moving orange glow but none of them knew what it was. It reminded Spyro of the glow of the Earth Golem. It scared him a little but he dismissed the thoughts of the golem that nearly destroyed Warfang.**

"**So Spyro, are you ready to be a hero one more time?" Cynder asked.**

"**I'll be when they need me. How I wish I can just be Spyro the Dragon, not the Hero Dragon," Spyro said.**

"**They will always need a hero and who better than the wielder of great powers," Cynder said leaned against Spyro lovingly.**

**Spyro didn't smile because he had enough of evil. Gaul, Malefor and now the undead. Spyro wished all evil in the world will end and only peace reigned. Suddenly, he felt drowsy and fainted, much to Cynder's dismay.**

"**Spyro, you already got 8 hours of sleep and now you're sleeping again? Wake up, the undead will be here any minute," Cynder said pleadingly as she shook Spyro's body.**

**Spyro found himself in front of Ignitus along with an unknown dragon that was 2 times larger than Ignitus. The dragon was marine blue and he had a sword symbol tied around his neck. The dragon let out a puff of smoke and smiled.**

"**So, this is the second purple dragon," the unknown dragon said warmly.**

"**Who are you," Spyro asked, feeling a bit scared.**

"**I am the Creator, the Bringer of Life, the Beginner of the World," the marine blue dragon said with power.**

"**Spyro, this dragon is a celestial god dragon. He is the one responsible of what goes on in the world," Ignitus explained.**

"**Yes young dragon, I am what the Chronicler has said. I govern everything that happens in the world. Wars, feuds, peace, life and death are all under my jurisdiction. My name is Titan and I am a purple dragon of the First Age of Dragonkind. You, Spyro, are a purple dragon of the Third Age," Titan boomed.**

"**W-what difference does it make?" Spyro asked.**

"**It makes no difference but it is our powers that make us all the same. I ascended into the celestial world after my death and I have reigned there for many eons. I have seen my kind use their power for both good and evil and the worst one of all is Malefor. You however, have something that even I don't have but that power of yours can end the Third Age and bring forth the Fourth Age," Titan said.**

"**So…what does all this mean?" Spyro asked.**

"**I overheard you complaining to yourself about how evil always prevail. Spyro, you have the power of darkness at your disposal and you are still in control of it. I solemnly tell you this: No purple dragon can resist the power of darkness like you can and we all know its potential to change the world according to the one who wields it. You can attempt to end this age and move on to the next and be leader of peace or vice versa but there is always a price for something eternal. Eternal peace brings about too much happiness and this renders a race to unable to survive in a world that is ever expanding. Weak you are in combat means the more easily you'll be defeated by a foreign force for you know nothing but peace and happiness. Eternal darkness means chaos throughout the world. Death and destruction is a daily part of life and you are always miserable," the marine blue dragon explained.**

"**There is a price for something, even peace. What Titan is trying to tell you is that it is impossible to have something eternal. Both light and darkness must be balanced and too much of one side is not a good thing. As long as there is good, there will always be evil. Spyro, Titan has given you an option to choose between a world of happiness and a world of chaos. You are the dragon who can decide the fate of this world," Ignitus further explained.**

"**So you purposely came here to tell me this?" Spyro asked the gigantic dragon.**

"**Yes, Spyro, and no other purple dragons throughout the ages have such an honor. While you have learned Dragon Time from the previous Chronicler, I shall teach you something only the celestial dragons can perform. I call this Death Bringer," Titan said.**

"**What does it do?" Spyro asked.**

"**It rips the soul out of one's body and frees them into the mortal world, the heavens or the Realm of the Dead, depending on where you want them to be. Just channel some darkness through your paws and grab onto your victim. Once you clutch on to their souls, rip them out and tell them where they will go. But be warned, you can only use this 5 times before your own soul gets consumed by darkness. I can't stop you after that," Titan said.**

"**I thought you can't master dark powers," Spyro said quizzically.**

"**I can't so I use my position as the celestial god dragon to determine the lives of the mortals. For a living mortal like you to use such a power require a source of power that is far beyond one can imagine and that is the power of darkness," Titan said.**

"**One question sir: You said wars and feuds are under your jurisdiction. How come you can't stop the humans from attacking our race?" asked a confused Spyro.**

"**Alas, my powers do not extend to the human race as they have their Pantheon of Gods to govern them. I am friend of the Leader of the Gods, Hyperion, but that doesn't mean he'll give me the power to carry out his duties. Whatever wars that goes on is all governed by the God of Destruction, Kharnak. He is the most powerful among all the gods except Hyperion. He has the power to instill evil thoughts and incite wars. Malefor's mind was twisted by the thoughts that Kharnak put into him and the apes were worshipping Kharnak. He not only controls the humans, he controls others as well," Titan said sadly.**

"**Why doesn't Hyperion stop him?" Spyro asked.**

"**Kharnak…he usurped Hyperion's throne and killed him. Now the entire Pantheon of Gods is in chaos and the celestial world is at war just like you all are at war with the forces of darkness sent by Malefor and the undead. That has happened 500 years ago…when Malefor began having evil thoughts and the Pantheon of Gods was warring," Titan said his expression neutral as he recalled the events of the past.**

"**Whatever happens at the celestial world will affect the mortal world, Spyro. The celestial world was never peaceful but the forces of good and evil are balancing. Now it has tipped to one side. Kharnak himself has joined the war against the dragons and only you and your Death Bringer power can stop him forever. He is in the mortal world so use this chance to restore the balance to both the celestial and the mortal world," Ignitus said.**

**Spyro felt power coursing through him, so immense that he nearly blacked out. Titan closed his eyes for a while and opened it again.**

"**Kharnak is powerful but you can match him in power. Remember, he can put tempting thoughts into your mind and turn you into his pawn and you'll make it worse if you use Death Bringer for more than 5 times. Spyro, if you win this war, you will decide the fate of the mortal world and what you decide will change the heavens as well. Make the right decision," Titan said before disappearing into a white mist.**

**Spyro looked at Ignitus and Ignitus smiled warmly.**

"**It's your time to be a hero, Spyro. Show the world what you're made of," Ignitus said.**

**Spyro returned to the mortal world and found Cynder staring at him. He got up from the ground and sat up.**

"**Your nap was pretty fast," Cynder said.**

"**I wasn't napping…I was called by Ignitus and Titan," Spyro said.**

"**Ignitus? Titan? Spyro, are you hallucinating?" Volteer asked quickly.**

"**Spyro, Ignitus is dead and Titan is a celestial god dragon. How could you possibly meet those two?" Cyril asked.**

"**I'm not lying. I saw them," Spyro said.**

**Cyril, Volteer and Terrador looked at each other with disbelief. It sounded too incredible for them too believe but yet, Spyro never lied to them and they've always trusted him. Could it really be true?**

"**It sounds too incredible," Cyril said.**

"**But we all thought so as well when Spyro said he saw the Chronicler years ago. He wasn't lying and I have a feeling he's not lying now as well," Terrador said.**

"**The dragon gods do not interact directly with mortals and the only medium between them and the mortals is the Chronicler," Volteer said.**

**Suddenly, they stopped and looked at each other with wide eyes.**

"**Could it be that Ignitus is the Chronicler?" Cyril asked.**

**He turned to Spyro for the answer.**

"**Am I right, Spyro?" he asked.**

**Spyro nodded.**

"**What were you told?" Cyril asked eagerly.**

"**Well…I was only told that I can defeat Kharnak," Spyro said.**

**Morpheus heard it and stood up.**

"**Spyro, Kharnak is a powerful god and how can you possibly defeat him when none of us can?" he asked.**

"**I was given a power to fight him and I was guaranteed it will hurt him," Spyro said.**

**He noticed his paw glowing electric blue but the others didn't seem to notice it.**

"**Sounds rather incredible. Spyro, are you sure of what you've said?" Morpheus asked in a concerned way.**

"**Yes, I am positive of it. I will destroy Kharnak with this new power of mine," Spyro said with a determined smile on his face.**

**Suddenly, Von Katz called down from below the city after returning back from a scouting mission. That ended abruptly after he spotted the undead.**

"**Terrador, millions of undead heading to Warfang! They have an army 4 times larger than Malefor's forces!" Von Katz panicked.**

**Terrador felt his heart stop for a while. Millions of undead could spell doom to Warfang in 5 seconds. Now there is really no point for a tank army or all those new technology…he must find a way to win of prepare to face annihilation since the majority of the dragon race has come to defend Warfang. If they lose, the dragon race is as good as dead.**

"**We have to win or face annihilation. Von Katz, get up the ramparts. The rest of you get ready for the attack. Give no mercy to them and strike them down with all your might! We may not have an army of their size but our courage will be seen by all!" Terrador yelled.**

**He looked at the sky and closed his eyes in a silent prayer. Cyril did so along with Volteer.**

"**Spyro, no matter what happens, I will always be with you. We live together; we die together," Cynder said.**

"**Thank you Cynder, that assures me of your presence and love," Spyro said.**

"**If we die, I want to say only one thing to you, buddy: It was nice knowing you," Flame said and pretended to cry.**

**Ember looked at the distance and her eyes widened with fear. A few sweat drips rolled down her cheeks. She saw the undead army like a swarm of ants, each of them holding a torch and the combined glow created a great orange glow they saw earlier. Tanks and artilleries rumbled out of the forest and waited at a distance, their cannons raised and ready to fire.**

"**This is a suicide mission," she said fearfully.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: The Beginning**

**Just as Ember shouted the warning, twin cannon shots hit a building behind her. The cannon turrets on the wall responded by firing back at the enemy. Now, the war has begun. The cannons on Warfang's ramparts opened up at the enemy and rained down a hail of cannon fire, which the opposition army did likewise. The warriors were ordered not to attack unless the enemies try to scale the walls.**

"**Compared to the first siege, this one really started off with a bang," Cyril joked as a bullet shot flew past his head.**

**The turret beside him exploded into steaming bits and the controller of the turret was flung out and landed in front of Cyril.**

"**They're damn good shooters," the mole said weakly.**

"**Crap, this isn't good," a rebel soldier said as he fired a rifle shot towards the enemy ranks.**

**Cyril saw exactly why he said that. Ladders were being pushed up the wall and the undead began climbing it. Morpheus went to the closest ladder and knocked it down with a kick. The entire ladder fell along with the undead on it to the ground with a loud crunch, crushing them to death permanently.**

**Cyril pushed two ladders and cut one grappling hook rope to prevent the ramparts from being overrun.**

"**Don't let them overrun the ramparts or all will be lost!" Cyril commanded.**

**One dragon soldier got impaled in the chest by a grappling hook, killing it instantly. The hook retracted and pulled the dead dragon soldier off the ramparts and into the sea of undead warriors. Flame blew a stream of fire down the ramparts and burned the undead soldiers as they advanced towards Warfang's gates. The other dragons followed and soon, the grounds below became a massive fire field. From far, the enemy tanks and artilleries continued their barrage of cannon fire from long range. The rampart turrets can't reach them and the artilleries they have were decimated.**

"**Spyro, halt their armored units and put them out of action!" Terrador yelled out to Spyro.**

**Spyro nodded and he beckoned Cynder to follow. Ass they flew in the skies, rifle shots filled the air and threatened to hit them. The two dragons were engaged by undead riders but they easily repelled them and bashed them to the ground with flurries of combos and power attacks. The enemy tanks and artilleries were situated on a hill and their cannon barrels flashed and belched smoke and fire. Rifle soldiers shot at Spyro and Cynder but the two evaded the shots deftly. When they touched down, they started whacking the tanks. Their claw attacks can't hurt the tanks so they resorted to breath attacks. Spyro's fire breaths worked well in melting the tank armor while Cynder's powerful wind breath blew away the light artilleries. **

"**Get those two! They're attacking our tanks!" someone yelled.**

**Spyro turned and saw a group of undead warriors heading for them, this time they wore full armor and carried stave weapons. Spyro didn't manage to dodge the first pierce that came at him and a spear head hit his chest. **

"**Spyro!" Cynder called out!**

**Spyro only smiled back and burned the warrior to crisp.**

"**Morpheus is right. Mithril armor is stronger than I could've imagined," he said gleefully.**

**The handsome-looking dragon in armor then turned his attention to several other warriors. They hit Spyro with all they got but the mithril armor he wore protected him from the blows. Cynder came up and helped Spyro in fending off the enemy warriors. After dealing with the last tank and artillery piece, the two braved another storm of gunfire and returned back to Warfang. **

"**Thank the ancestors you're okay, Spyro. Now with their cannon attacks impeded, we should have one less problem to worry about," Terrador said.**

"**That doesn't mean we're out of trouble yet! The enemies are still trying to scale our walls!" Cyril said.**

**Suddenly, undead warriors in red armor appeared on the ramparts and glared at the defenders with menacing looks. Before Terrador could give the command to attack, the warriors in red armor leapt at the closest dragon warrior and slit their throats so quickly that they didn't even see it coming. The victims clutched their throats and fell to the ground before dying from blood loss.**

"**They're fast," Terrador thought.**

**One leapt at Terrador and attempted to slit his throat but Terrador blocked with his wing and the blade came in contact with his wing. He let out a growl of pain and blood spattered across his face. Before the undead assassin touched the ground, Terrador grabbed it by the neck and slammed him to the ground with a force equivalent to a juggernaut (large lorry) slamming into a wall. The undead became a pile of bones.**

"**Attack them!" Terrador ordered.**

**The undead warriors fought back and they were agile. Many fell dead before the undead warriors were eliminated. Suddenly, Terrador caught sight of multiple undead soldiers coming up the ramparts.**

"**Oh no, this was just a diversion," he said angrily to himself.**

**The ramparts were in danger of being overrun by the undead and they had to fall back to the streets. Many dragons were dispatched to guard the temple and incubation chamber for they fear that the new brood of dragon eggs might be destroyed if they're not careful.**

"**Spyro, leave the holding back to us. You dragons guard whatever the hell is precious to you!" Morpheus said to Spyro.**

**Spyro nodded and fell back to the temple. Cyril helped out Morpheus and the human rebels to fight off the undead. Cyril was badly hurt when a ballista shot punctured his stomach and it was still lodged there. Blood flowed from it but Cyril didn't seem to care. He kept on fighting.**

"**Go…defend the temple…I'll hold them off!" Cyril said to Spyro and the others.**

"**Cyril, don't! You'll get yourself killed!" Spyro yelled.**

"**I'm not going down without a fight! Go now!" Cyril roared.**

**His ice breath was tainted with blood and he felt his body weakening. Cyril did not stop though, he kept on fighting alongside the human rebels. Spyro took one last look at Cyril before heading for the temple. One the way to the temple, they were bombarded by another wave of cannon fire. Some hit the temple and threatened to destroy it but thanks to the mole's sturdy construction of the temple walls, they held nicely even after being pounded multiple times. A cannon shell exploded behind Spyro and Cynder and threw them off their feet, making them hit into a wall.**

"**Are you two alright?" Terrador asked.**

"**We're a little beaten up but still fine nonetheless," Cynder said and stood up groggily.**

"**Good, we're almost there to the temple. Come on, don't slack!" Terrador said aloud.**

**Just when they reached the temple entrance after going up a flight of steps, they couldn't believe their sights. Most of the dragon warriors have been massacred and their dead bodies littered the grounds outside the temple. Some sported burn marks while others had deep wounds and pieces of them sliced off. In the middle of the temple courtyard stood a demon centaur and he was smiling evilly at the three.**

"**I was expecting you sooner or later…Spyro," Kharnak said with malice.**

"**Not you again," Spyro said in dismay.**

"**Yes, dragon, it's me. You think I didn't know that you've been talking with Titan before the invasion now, did you?" he asked.**

"**What about it? He gave me a power that will destroy you forever," Spyro threatened but Kharnak only laughed.**

"**How can you hurt me when my vassal is protecting me from such harms? That power of yours only work a few times so don't push it," Kharnak said.**

**Spyro tried the first attack but something repelled him and sent him flying backwards. Spyro skidded on the ground for a few meters before coming to a grinding halt.**

"**Ouch…my head hurts," Spyro mumbled.**

"**See what I mean? My vassal has the power over my defenses but not over me. It is because of him that I was able to fight in the mortal world. I guess Titan hadn't told you that," Kharnak smiled darkly.**

"**Spyro, let me deal with him," Cynder said.**

"**No, you can't! He's mine to deal with!" Spyro said angrily.**

**Terrador thought he saw Spyro's eyes turn demonic red for a while. Somehow the darkness that coursed through him must have changed to an even more powerful one. Something doesn't feel right and Terrador didn't like it.**

"**Cynder, let him fight," Terrador said.**

**The black dragoness let out a small sigh and nodded.**

**Kharnak stomped on the ground and sent a shockwave hurtling towards Spyro. Spyro dodged aside and charged at Kharnak. Before he could reach the centaur, he was hit by a sword and his armor shattered into millions of fragments. **

"**Your mithril armor maybe strong but not to the power of gods and immortals," Kharnak said while pointing his sword at Spyro.**

**Spyro gave a roar of anger and charged at Kharnak again, strafing left and right to throw off Kharnak's aim. He got close enough to land a slash on Kharnak but the centaur spun his sword around and hit Spyro. Spyro quickly rebounded and attacked relentlessly. He tried another Death Bringer attack but again he was repelled. He felt more dark powers surging through him and his mind burned with hatred. Titan warned him against using too much and now something was bothering his mind, as if someone had inserted evil thoughts into him.**

"**Spyro, you're strong. Why fight the undefeatable when you can join them and be ruler? You were a dragon destined to change the world and you have the power to do so. Titan knew that because he did the same thing," a voice said.**

**Suddenly, a vision of the past appeared and Spyro saw Titan fighting the then more primitive humans. Many were slaughtered but some survived. Titan laughed evilly and burned them into charred bodies. Spyro noticed the dragon staring at him and before he attacked, the vision was gone.**

"**No, it's a lie…Titan would never do such things!" Spyro said loudly.**

"**From the First Age of Dragons to the present age, all purple dragons were destined to change the world and even the celestial god dragon has such a past. He wouldn't tell you that because he is ashamed of his actions. But still, you can see that the desire is still there. Why resist?" the voice continued.**

**Spyro covered his ears and shook his head. It was too much for him. Suddenly, he felt someone shaking him out of the trance and pulling him back to reality. It was Cynder and she had a sympathetic look on her face.**

"**Spyro, whatever goes on in your head, don't listen. Don't leave me alone," Cynder said softly and tears rolled down her cheeks.**

**Spyro's heart warmed and he felt like crying.**

"**No, I won't leave you," he said while tears began swelling up at the corner of his eyes.**

**They heard Kharnak laughing and he set his sword into the ground.**

"**How sweet. Two young dragons in love in the midst of battle. I've never seen anything so touching in my entire life," mocked the centaur and he laughed again.**

"**You shut up," Spyro growled.**

**Oh well, I guess I have nothing to say at this point because my forces seem to be retreating. Well, it has been fun fighting you guys but I really must go now," Kharnak said.**

**He took his sword and with one mighty slash, he cut down the dragon temple and it crumbled into pieces. The dragons opened their eyes wide in horror as the dragon temple came crashing down.**

"**No, the dragon eggs!" Terrador yelled in horror.**

"**Oops, my bad," Kharnak mocked.**

**He suddenly grabbed Cynder by the neck and tied her up with magic chains.**

"**I'll need her and don't mind if I 'borrow' your girlfriend for a while. Try experiencing some loneliness for once," the centaur said and he laughed evilly before disappearing into a cloud of black smoke.**

**Before they disappeared, Spyro though he heard Cynder's plea for help.**

"**Spyro, don't leave me alone!" she cried out and her voice faded.**

**Spyro wanted to cry but somehow, he felt anger in him. He let out a loud roar to the heavens and called by Cynder's name so loudly that he felt even the heavens could hear him. Finally, he broke down. The battle was over within 3 hours but the loss was great. Cyril was mortally wounded and the dragon temple was destroyed. Terrador felt great loss.**

"**Terrador…we lost the temple," Cyril said weakly.**

"**Cyril, the younger generations are dead…the dragon race is in danger of going extinct," Terrador said to his dying friend.**

"**No, they're not dead. I…replaced them with fake eggs and the real ones are safe in my study," Cyril smiled.**

**He coughed out some blood and his breathing became shallow.**

"**Terrador, the call to the heavens has arrived. Take…care of Spyro," were his last words before Cyril closed his eyes and slipped into death's embrace. The humans bowed their heads in respect while Terrador did so as well. Spyro felt great loss at the same time as he lost yet another elder he knew for years.**

**That evening, Spyro looked at the sunset and recalled the events that happened earlier. Valcor came to his side and sat down beside him.**

"**We all lost a good friend. I understand how you feel but it won't bring him back," Valcor said sympathetically.**

**Spyro felt an urge to use the book of necromancy but he decided against it. It would be dangerous.**

"**No you don't. Not only have I lost Cyril, I've lost my loved one as well. That feeling is worse than losing Cyril," Spyro said sadly.**

"**Ah, the black dragoness yes? I know how much she meant to you…and I'm willing to fight alongside you to get her back. I can't stand to see our purple hero looking so moody all the time," Valcor smiled.**

"**You think?" Spyro snorted.**

"**Cross my heart Spyro, I'll fight alongside you," Valcor said.**

**All Spyro could think off now is the Epicenter. He wanted to go there and give the undead a piece of his mind. **

"**Cyril had not died in vain. He succeeded in keeping the enemy away from your duel with Kharnak. Should he have died earlier, you might have been harassed," Valcor said.**

**Valcor stood up and patted Spyro's back.**

"**Take it easy, kid," he said before leaving.**

**Spyro was deep in thought and his heart burned with anger. He wanted to avenge Cyril and get back Cynder. He wanted to destroy the Netherlord and Kharnak. Spyro wanted them dead and he wanted to start tomorrow.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Return to the Epicenter**

**Spyro was up early the next day and he was busy packing supplies for his journey back to the Epicenter, a place where the undead originated. While everyone still rested, Spyro snuck out of bed and headed for the ramparts, ready to spread his wings and ride with the wind that blew towards the Epicenter. However, he was caught by Morpheus who was waiting at the steps of the ruined temple.**

"**Where do you think you're going, Spyro the Dragon?" the human asked.**

"**This is none of your concern. I'm going to the Epicenter to rescue Cynder and destroy that fool Kharnak," Spyro said angrily.**

"**On the contrary Spyro, it is of my concern as well. I am cursed not to die and the only way to free myself from this accursed world is to destroy both the Netherlord and Kharnak. I don't care who is in control but I prefer if both of them die," Morpheus said.**

"**You said so yourself that none of us can defeat him," Spyro muttered.**

"**That doesn't give me a reason not to try. Besides, I'm sure you'll need all the help you can get," Morpheus smiled.**

**Spyro remained silent and looked at the ground while using his left paw to draw a circle on the ground. It was true that he can't fight alone but this matter seems rather personal and Spyro didn't feel like having someone accompanying him on his journey. It was unwise though as he had a limit to his power before the God of Destruction overpower him. Like it or not, Spyro's heart couldn't deny Morpheus coming with him.**

"**You're right Morpheus, I do need all the help I can get but I prefer if we travel in a small group," Spyro said.**

**Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around. He saw Hunter, Flame, Ember and Valcor standing together.**

"**We heard what you wanted and we're here to journey with you. Spyro, we shall help you in your journey to the Epicenter," Hunter said.**

"**Yo buddy, no matter what, I'll still be by your side. We've been friends for years already," winked Flame.**

"**Spyro, even if I detest Cynder and disagree with you saving her, I'll fight alongside you for your sake," Ember said.**

"**Spyro, as the leader of the Western Lands, I pledge my sword and life to you and fight beside you," Valcor said gallantly. **

**Spyro felt his sense of loneliness dissipate. Even if Cynder wasn't by his side, his friends still cared about him, no matter the race. Morpheus maybe human and his race was an enemy to the dragons but he is different and he fought for what is right. Spyro liked him and trusted him.**

**Hunter was always a helping hand to him and Cynder and he can also be trusted. He made friends with him when they were rescued from the Earth Golem 5 years ago and now he is about to help him one more time.**

**Flame was a long time buddy and they always played together when they were younger. He maybe rough at times and liked picking fights but Spyro knew that he was a gallant warrior at best and he never betrayed Spyro.**

**Ember maybe annoying and sometimes, Spyro found her to be a little stuck-up sometimes but she has a heart of gold and she really cares for her friends, even Cynder even when she said she hated her. She used to be weak in combat but Spyro was somehow glad that she learnt to fight.**

**He heard of Valcor's name and achievements but he never met him in person. Valcor was somewhat a legend among the warriors and his achievements, real or not, was rather astounding. During the siege on Warfang, Valcor was a strong fighter and it proved some of the rumors of his combat prowess and peerless courage. Spyro was glad to have a master warrior by his side.**

"**T-thank you for trying to help me out guys, I really appreciate your gesture of friendship," Spyro said while a teardrop formed and fell.**

"**Hey, we're all buddies, right? All for one and one for us!" Flame said with a grin.**

"**Actually, it's all for one and one for all," Morpheus corrected.**

**Flame gave an embarrass laugh and scratched the back of his head.**

"**It doesn't matter what the saying is, all we shall do is fight as a team. What say you?" Valcor asked everyone.**

"**Yeah!" they all shouted in unison.**

**Then, they became serious again.**

"**How can Hunter and I get there quickly? We can't fly," Morpheus said with narrow eyes.**

**The dragons muttered and nodded their heads in agreement. At that moment, Raveshaw, the mole master engineer came out from his hut near the temple and smiled at them.**

"**I was expecting you guys to encounter flight problems so I've came up with an invention to help those who can't fly to ride the winds as skillfully as a dragon," he said with a warm smile.**

**He took out to backpacks and handed one each to Hunter and Morpheus.**

"**What is this?" Hunter asked curiously.**

"**This is what I call a flight pack. You use it as if using a backpack and stand at the edge of a cliff or anywhere similar and pull that string," Raveshaw said while stroking his beard.**

**The two strapped on the backpacks and pulled the strings. Immediately wings made of leaves and wood deployed from slits on both sides of the backpack. The wingspan was as long as an albatross' wingspan. **

"**Can this thing really work," Hunter asked with uncertainty.**

"**Why don't you step off the ramparts and tell me?" Raveshaw joked.**

"**Because I'd be dead if this thing fails," Hunter grinned.**

**The two wingless ones stepped off the ramparts and closed their eyes. Suddenly, they felt like they were being lifted up by a pair of hands. They opened their eyes and found themselves gliding.**

"**We're flying!" Morpheus laughed happily.**

"**Don't lose focus and use the steering bar to steer to the path desired," Raveshaw said out aloud to the two.**

"**C'mon, we have no time to waste," Valcor said to Spyro and the others.**

**They nodded and took flight, following the two gliders. The wind was unusually strong and it felt like a vacuum that is sucking them towards the Epicenter. In just 3 hours, they flew past the Moray Mines and within 5 hours, they reached the outskirts of the black fortress. They landed on a mesa and surveyed the area. The dark purple crystals have spread very far and wide and some even reached the foot of the mesa. They could hear moaning and cries of pain coming from the crystals.**

"**What are in these crystals?" Spyro asked.**

"**Spirits of dead that have no body when the curse has been said. They are crystallized, waiting to be released to the world so they could wreak havoc. They can possess multitude of things such as dead bodies, bones and even machinery. I'm sure you notice that every time you kill things like undead animals or even a machine guardian, you'll see blue spirits, right?" Morpheus explained and asked.**

"**Yeah," Spyro said.**

"**When the body they possess is destroyed, they will be free of the curse. It also applies to those skeleton warriors that you destroy. They might have been cursed and they have a body when they die but when you destroy their physical body, their spirits will be free. I'm sure you've released many of them during your journey," Morpheus smiled.**

"**Hmm, come to think of it, I released at least 1000 over of them," Spyro said.**

"**It's a good start but what I desire is a mass curse break and that can only be achieved by killing the one who sets the curse or having the entire dragon race destroyed. There are billions of cursed humans and many are buried under your feet or in spirit form. It is impossible to break their curse one by one so we'll aim for the king," Morpheus said.**

**Valcor used his sharp eyes to spot enemies that guarded the gate of the dark fortress that surrounded the Epicenter. It was like a large super castle but it was all twisted and black. A bright orange glow came from the center of the fortress and Valcor assumed that it came from the Epicenter.**

"**We're just a stone's throw away from that hellhole but there are many guards and turrets guarding the place. Added to that, I think there is a Golem," Valcor said calmly.**

"**A-a Golem?" Ember asked fearfully.**

"**It's not any Golem I know of. This Golem is not of any known element," Valcor said grimly.**

"**If it's not a Golem of any known element, then it surely can't be a Golem," Flame said thoughtfully.**

"**It has traits of a Golem but it's all black and red and it wields a fiery spear of lava rock and has onyx for armor," Valcor said as he squinted his eyes to see more details of that Golem.**

**Spyro's pupils diluted in fear and his jaw dropped slightly. That resembled the creature he encountered back at the Moray Mines.**

"**By Lysenthia's bosom, that is a Hell Golem that exist in the Moray Mines. Many miners were killed and it took 5 High Mages to seal that thing at the pits of the mines. That thing is rather strong so it's best we avoid it," Morpheus muttered.**

"**I encountered that thing in the mines when I and Cynder were heading for the Epicenter for the first time," Spyro said.**

"**You did? That's odd…no one could release the Golem unless the spell that keeps it sealed is disturbed by a foreign object," Morpheus said.**

"**I-I accidentally kicked a helmet into a deep hole and moments later, it came for us," Spyro related.**

"**Then you must have freed it from its prison. Now I'm wondering how they manage to tame that Golem. It wasn't a creature you really want as a pet," Morpheus winced.**

"**I don't care how they acquire it but it is best that we head on into the Epicenter and kill whoever is responsible of the curse. From the looks of what they are doing, it seems like they are preparing for another assault," Hunter said.**

**They slowly followed a road down the mesa and walked among the dead trees as they reached ground level. It didn't provide much place to hide and they doubt they'll stay hidden for long so they moved fast. Occasionally, they encountered skeleton warriors and had to stop to dispatch them before moving on. The time of day was slowly slipping into night and the already dark area has become darker, so dark that they can't see each other. **

"**This darkness is unnatural…it is as if a beast has devoured us," Hunter whispered.**

"**Don't scare me, Hunter," Spyro growled.**

**Ember gave a whimper of fear but Flame held her tight and comforted her. Valcor made a torch but it did little to light the road in front of them. The darkness seemed to have an effect on Spyro because he felt dark powers coursing through his body, he felt hatred, anger and lust for domination and his dark side surfaced a few times but he managed to keep it under control. Valcor was rather worried for Spyro but he dare not say anything because if one wrong word slipped out from his or his friend's mouth, Spyro will surely turn evil. **

"**I…sense great darkness…we're close to the Epicenter," Spyro said darkly.**

**Valcor nodded and beckoned his friends to move forth. The darkness was giving even Valcor the creeps and it felt like they were being watched. Morpheus was quiet the entire time and he refused to say anything for he knew the spirits were watching. They couldn't see what was in front of them and many times they have run into a tree or nearly fell off a crevasse. They knew the road was going to be treacherous but this was just plain wrong. Just as they passed two statues of Kharnak, Spyro heard a voice in his head.**

"**Welcome to my domain, Spyro the dragon," the voice said with a dark, feminine, tone.**

**Spyro recognized that voice and he halted. The rest of his team also halted as he did.**

"**Spyro, what's the matter?" Flame asked.**

"**She's here," was what Spyro said.**

**Morpheus suddenly opened his eyes wide when he sensed something wrong. Looking up, he saw an adult black dragon perched on an archway, smiling at them darkly.**

"**By Lysenthia's bosom, is that Cynder?" Morpheus asked in surprise.**

**The black dragoness gave out an evil laugh that seemed to echo throughout the place. Her white eyes glared at them maliciously and finally, she had her sights locked on to Spyro. Spyro felt something evil about her and she never looked this scary before. It was as if a ghost was staring at him.**

"**C-Cynder-" Spyro started but Cynder cut him off.**

"**I know what you're trying to ask and yes, I am Cynder, the one who loved you…or so you think," Cynder growled.**

**She leapt off the archway and landed in front of them with a thud. Valcor had his sword ready but he dared not strike at Spyro's lover. **

"**My master had already expected your arrival so he put me here to guard the place," Cynder said in a rather hollow voice.**

"**Cynder, snap out of it. You're not evil, you're under the control of Kharnak," Spyro said.**

"**Yes and from birth, my destiny is to serve and preserve darkness. It is the force that governs the world and it is present in everyone's heart, even the seemingly holy ones. You know this yet you deny it," Cynder said.**

"**Cynder please stop, now you're talking like Kharnak," Spyro pleaded.**

"**He is my master after all. Why resist him when you can join him? I'm sure he has a special place for you in his throne. You have experienced darkness and you know your desires come from it. You like it, don't you?" Cynder grinned evilly.**

**It was true that Spyro had some forbidden desires but he always kept it in check but now it seems like it was too much for him to handle.**

"**Cynder, that is enough," Ember growled.**

**Cynder looked at Ember maliciously and backhanded her, sending her flying into a tree.**

"**I don't take orders from pink whelps the likes of you," Cynder growled back.**

**She turned her attention back to Spyro. She noticed her words seem to be affecting the purple dragon so she pushed on.**

"**Why ponder? You have only one path and that is the path of darkness and power. You were given the will to end the Third Age and start a new one. Peace was never an option and only weaklings desire peace because they know they can't fight. Those whelps following you know nothing of power and ambition and all they desire is peace. What is the use of that?" Cynder asked more kindly but her voice contained darkness nonetheless.**

**Spyro let out a grunt as he struggled with his thoughts. His thoughts contradicted with what he believed and he was at war with his own dark side that was waiting to take over.**

"**Spyro, give in to your desires and join me. Together we will rule the world as King and Queen of Darkness and Damnation. You'll do that for me if you love me," Cynder said.**

**Morpheus was really cheesed off and he threw an axe at her. Spyro gasped and thought it was going to hit her but Cynder just grabbed it and crushed it into pieces.**

"**You'll have to do better than that," she said softly.**

"**Morpheus, what are you doing?!" Spyro asked angrily.**

"**If this is really the Cynder you love, she won't attempt to turn you into one of Kharnak's pawns. If it is not Cynder, I'll beat her up and make her go dirt-tasting," Morpheus said as he shook his fist at Cynder.**

"**Know your place, human. You don't belong to the dragon clan and your life should be in the hands of Kharnak," Cynder said sternly.**

"**I take no orders from a sadistic centaur and his pawns. I believe solely in peace and freedom but that does not make me weak," he shot back.**

"**You see Spyro, he denies the fact but you believe him. He hates you in reality," Cynder said.**

**Spyro said nothing but his paws glowed electric blue. Cynder was slightly shocked when Spyro looked at her and grinned with determination.**

"**Nice try Cynder but apparently another one more powerful than you has told me to tell you to SOD OFF!" Spyro roared.**

**Cynder thought she saw Ignitus frowning at her but she dismissed it as a hallucination. She closed her eyes and smiled.**

"**Then I guess you're asking for a fight," Cynder said.**

"**I'm not alone. I have my friends by my side," Spyro said.**

**His friends rallied to his side and readied themselves. Cynder just smiled and laughed.**

"**Very well, this shall be your funeral and this ground shall be your tomb. Prepare yourself, Spyro the dragon," Cynder roared and at the same time, lightning flashed and she gave a loud and evil laugh that matched with the lighting. She spread her wings wide and a dark aura surrounded her. The lightning flash and spread wings made her look rather intimidating.**

"**Don't let her scare you! We can beat her!" Spyro said to his teammates and charged.**


	13. Chapter 13

Blasted lightning storm made me lose my story that I was working on and I only recovered part of it and had to rewrite the rest. Well, enjoy it anyway.

**Chapter 13: A duel with Cynder**

**Cynder clawed at Spyro and caused scratch marks on the purple dragon's body. It stung and he gritted his teeth in pain. Spyro fought back and hit Cynder multiple times.**

"**How dare you hurt someone you love?!" Cynder asked angrily.**

"**That someone I love doesn't hurt me or my friends," Spyro answered back.**

**Cynder raised her front paws and tried to stomp down on Spyro but Morpheus spun kick at the black dragoness. His leg connected with her jaw and sent her sprawling onto the ground.**

"**For a small fry like you…you sure pack a painful punch," Cynder said as she got up from the ground.**

**Morpheus leapt at Cynder but she was quicker and she grabbed his neck. Ember and Flame leapt at her in unison but the two were whipped by Cynder using her tail. They rebounded and split up to attack Cynder from two sides but again, they got whipped from a spin attack. Morpheus tried to free himself but Cynder slammed him to the ground and landed a hard punch on Morpheus that it made a crater in the ground.**

"**Cynder, please stop. We don't want to fight you," Valcor said.**

"**Too bad for you because I don't feel like stopping," Cynder grinned evilly.**

**She tried to claw Valcor but Valcor stopped her by swinging his tail at her legs and tripped her. Cynder let out a breath of poison at Valcor but he just stood there.**

"**I'm resistant to poison if you don't mind," he muttered.**

**Cinder grabbed his legs and pulled him down to the ground and choked Valcor. He gasped and gagged as Cynder's grip tightened around his neck. Suddenly, she felt a hard knock on her head and it was hard enough to make black stars explode in her vision. She swung her claw around and hit something. She heard a grunt of pain coming from Morpheus. **

"**Cynder, get a hold of yourself, you're not born to serve darkness! You have a future, a bright one! Why do you let Kharnak control your mind?!" Spyro asked.**

"**I told you that it is my will and destiny to serve darkness! Don't try and persuade me anymore!" Cynder snarled angrily.**

**She used her tail to grip Spyro's neck and pinned him to the ground. Her eyes were glowing white and her body emitted a dark aura.**

"**You've been getting on my nerves and now I'll put an end to your misery," Cynder growled softly.**

**Before she could bring down her claw on Spyro, she saw Spyro's eyes swelling up with tears. Somehow, she felt pity and she didn't attack.**

"**Why won't you fight back?" she asked.**

"**Because you have left me nothing to fight for," Spyro answered sadly.**

**Flashbacks entered her mind and reminded her of the same thing he said when they were threatened by Malefor. She meant much to Spyro…and to see him like this makes her feel guilty. Her eyes drooped and a black teardrop fell onto Spyro's face.**

"**I'm sorry…" she muttered apologetically. **

**She let go of Spyro but unknown to her, Morpheus had charged at her with his sword pointed at her back. Before Cynder could react, Morpheus drove his sword into her back and pierced through her stomach. Spyro watched in horror as he saw the tip of the sword was stained with blood and it dripped onto his belly. Cynder opened her mouth in pain but didn't emit any noise. Her pupils dilated and her eyes were wide. Morpheus realized his mistake and quickly let go of the sword and backed off. Cynder began returning to her original self but the sword was still lodged there. She fell onto the ground and coughed out blood. **

"**Cynder!" Spyro yelled out, his tears flowing freely from his eyes.**

**Cynder's breathing was shallow and her eyelids were slowly closing. She managed to muster her strength and look at Spyro, giving him a weak smile.**

"**There is always something to fight for," she said weakly and her eyes closed as she slipped into a coma.**

"**Cynder, don't die!" Spyro wailed.**

**Valcor held him back and inspected Cynder. His face was grim but calm nonetheless.**

"**She's barely alive. I can try my best to save her but you all must go on without me," Valcor said.**

"**I'm not leaving without Cynder!" Spyro growled angrily through his teeth.**

"**Spyro, please reason with yourself. The world is at stake and you are the only one who can stop that. Leave Cynder to me and I promise you she'll be alive once you return from your journey into the Epicenter," Valcor said with a tone of authority.**

**Spyro was reluctant but Valcor's glare was able to convince Spyro that he shouldn't mess around with Valcor.**

"**Alright, I'll leave you to that but keep your word," Spyro said.**

"**May lightning strike me if I fail to uphold my promise," Valcor said.**

**With that vow, Spyro left along with his injured teammates. They went pass the archway and now they were nearing the Epicenter. The darkness dissipated slightly as the glow from the Epicenter lit things up a bit.**

"**Spyro, I'm sorry to what I did to Cynder," Morpheus said regretfully.**

"**It's okay, it's not entirely your fault anyway," Spyro said softly.**

"**Well, I hope I can make it up to you," the human continued.**

"**You can do that by keeping that pothole of yours shut," Spyro said a little louder this time.**

**Morpheus said nothing else after that. As they closed in on the Epicenter, all of them felt something disturbing their minds but they toughed it out. They came across a spiral steps and at the end of it were two skeleton guards. They were unaware that someone was behind them.**

"**You know, our attack on Warfang really hurt the dragons badly. I think we eradicated most of them," the one on the left said.**

"**I doubt it. With us dead for so long, I don't think those dragons won't flourish. In fact, I estimate that there are more out there," the one on the right replied.**

"**Is that why we're ordered to prepare a fleet?" the former said while scratching his skull.**

"**Most likely but Baron Salvador didn't give any of us much details. They think we're too stupid to fathom his so-called devious plan," the latter joked. **

"**Oh really? I wonder how much more devious than it can get?" the first one asked.**

**As they chatted among themselves, Spyro and the others sneaked past them. Flame let out a burp so stinky that the smell wafted towards the two guards.**

"**Whoa, what did you eat this morning?" the second one asked while waving his bony arm.**

"**It wasn't me for Lysenthia's sake," the first one replied in a tone of irritation.**

**They looked at each other and turned around but they saw no one. The second guard then turned to face the first guard.**

"**It has got to be you," he said.**

**The team slipped past a few more guards and they reached to the top of the fortress. The entire place was a big, flat piece of land but in the middle, they saw a volcano-like thing that spewed lava and dark aura. Thousands of fireballs were shot up into the sky before falling back down.**

"**There it is," Hunter said with awe.**

"**I can't believe I'm seeing this and I pray that I won't see the Epicenter again once we're done," Flame said as he watched a fireball drop from the sky.**

"**It's a miracle we got here unseen but let's not push our luck," Ember muttered.**

"**How do we get there unseen? If we walk out in the open, we'll be spotted and I'm expecting thousands of arrows and cannon fire," Flame said.**

**Suddenly, a large leg stomped in front of them and made them fall. It was the Hell Golem and it was patrolling the Epicenter. It let out a low growl and stopped to look around. The others stayed still until it gave a snort of satisfaction and went on.**

"**We can't engage that thing directly so we'll avoid it. We have no choice but to sprint across the open distance," Spyro said.**

"**You're gonna get us killed," Hunter warned.**

"**What other choice do we have?" Spyro asked Hunter.**

**He looked around him and spotted a tall tower not far away. He smiled and gave a satisfied nod that his plan will work, hopefully.**

"**Follow me to that tower and keep near to the wall to avoid detection," Hunter whispered.**

**They followed Hunter's lead and slipped into the indicated tower. As they reached the entrance, the Hell Golem made another pass.**

"**That thing is a lumbering monstrosity," Morpheus said.**

"**And we can use its slow speed to our advantage. Quick, enter the tower," Hunter said.**

**At the base of the tower, they spotted plenty of explosives and gunpowder piled together. Spyro immediately caught on to Hunter's plan.**

"**You knew there were explosives all along?" Spyro asked.**

"**My keen sense of smell tells me so. Besides, it is near to a turret and if someone were to assault this fortress, they can come retrieve the gunpowder and explosives in a short time," Hunter said.**

"**Very observant but lets assume that our plan succeeds but the Golem comes along. What do we do?" Ember asked.**

"**If the tower is destroyed, we're dead meat so we only have one shot at this. Once the tower falls and leans onto the mouth of the Epicenter, we sprint as fast as we can. The body of the tower should provide us protection from ranged attacks and some cannon fire but the Golem might destroy the whole thing if it returns. We'll time this nicely," Hunter said.**

**They waited for the Golem to make another pass and Spyro lit the explosives. Their timing was good and as soon as the Golem rounded a corner. The whole thing blew up and the tower toppled and leaned against the mouth of the Epicenter. It attracted attention but the team had already went into the tower and sprinted to the top. Cannon fire pounded the tower's body and cracks began to form.**

"**We have two minutes before the Golem returns!" Hunter shouted.**

**A cannon shot blasted a hole above him and blurred his vision but he pushed on. They ran fast and the angle was getting steeper. They were close to the top though. Spyro noticed the roof was weak and with a mighty charge, he burst open and the next thing he knew, he was over the mouth of the Epicenter. The others leapt out and fell into the great mouth. At the same time, the tower crumbled into pieces as the Golem broke it apart with its spear.**

"**Aiiiii!" Flame let out a scream as they fell into the mouth of the place they dreaded. There is no turning back until they have finish their quest and they better hurry because this time, the undeads are rallying to destroy the dragons once and for all. **

"**Hurry Spyro, you're close but your enemies are getting closer to the weak than you can imagine," Ignitus said.**

**He saw a vision of dragons slaughtered by the undead and many were screaming and pleading for mercy.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: What Lies Beneath**

**Spyro landed on hard ground with a loud thump. His friends fell as hard but surprisingly, none of them were seriously injured. Spyro got up quickly and took a good look around him. It looked like he was inside a volcano and there were many caverns and stone bridges. Soul-containing crystals were of abundance here and so were the creatures of the Netherworld. **

"**Welcome to hell, Spyro," Morpheus said.**

"**It's sure warm in here," Hunter quipped. "A warm welcome is just what we don't need around here," he continued.**

**Ghostly moans were everywhere and there was a city at the distance that looked like a hellish copy of Trilith. The realm of Convexity was not to be seen because they were not connected to the Netherworld. This proved the rumors of Convexity and the Netherworld existing together wrong.**

"**So, what's the plan?" Flame asked.**

"**I say we move forth to that city," Spyro said as he pointed towards the city.**

"**Hmm, it looks like a dark copy of Trilith. There is something fishy going on here and I don't like it," Morpheus muttered.**

"**None of us do," Flame spoke.**

**They began their long walk to the city that was lit up by an orange glow, possibly from lava. It sat on a floating island with no bridge connected to it. Before reaching the city, they had multiple islands to cross. They were floating in midair and if they fell, it was a hundred mile drop to the lava ocean below. It shot out fireballs and emitted great gusts of hot wind that can veer their flight off course. The fireballs were like flaming bullets and if they were not careful, they'll be hit by it.**

"**This place is worse than I expected. I always imagined the Netherworld to be a place of suffering but not to this kind of scale," Ember said.**

**A fireball shot past her and she nearly ran into floating debris. Flame grabbed her paw and held her tight. Just as they landed on a floating island, they saw a burst of dark aura shooting up from the middle of the city.**

"**What is that?" Spyro asked.**

"**I'm not sure but we're gonna find out sooner or later," Morpheus muttered.**

**Suddenly they were surrounded by hellhounds. The hounds had eyes of fire and claws of steel. No doubt it'll hurt much if they get hit. The hounds growled menacingly at them.**

"**Eh heh, nice doggy," Flame said nervously.**

**The dogs leapt and knocked them to the ground, pinning them down and snapping their mouths at them. Morpheus freed one of his arms and closed his attackers mouth shut with a strong grip. The hellhound struggled to free its mouth but Morpheus refused to let go. He had the leverage and this time, he pushed the hellhound off the edge of the floating island. Hunter did likewise and the two helped to free the dragons. Almost each island they landed on had hellhounds ambushing them and they fought them off before proceeding. As their battle raged in the underworld, another crisis is happening on the surface.**

"**What are you looking at, Volteer?" Terrador asked.**

"**Nothing, I'm just reminiscing my past and reflect on what the humans did for me when I was injured," he said.**

"**Ah yes, you told me that when you were hurt due to an ambush, a group of villagers helped you, right?" Terrador asked.**

"**Yes and somehow I feel sorry for those innocent ones who were killed by Malefor. I have a liking for humans. They maybe weaker than dragons but they have a good heart and they fear not even the largest dragons. There is something about them that makes them special than other races," Volteer smiled wryly.**

**Terrador gave a wry smile as well but he wasn't smiling when he noticed the ground trembled as if an earthquake was happening.**

"**This doesn't look good," Volteer said as he shook about.**

**What the two elders saw next horrified them. The ground split and thousands of skeletons rose up. As far as they could see, they saw undead rising up everywhere.**

"**Is this a mass awakening?!" Volteer asked aloud.**

**The skeletons had their sight set on Warfang and they assaulted it. They seem like mindless undead and they didn't seem smart and at the same time, they didn't seem very benign as well. Their screeches were so loud that it seemed to demoralize the fighters in the city. Valcor's girlfriend, Jeanne, came out to report to the elders of a bad news.**

"**Terrador, the undead fleet has taken over a third of the Western Plains and sightings of mass awakenings are everywhere! Billions of undead are rising!" she said with horror in her eyes.**

**Terrador felt his soul tremble. He knew there were billions of undead humans that hadn't rose yet but he was hoping that Spyro took out the Netherlord quickly before the others rose. Now it seems like he was too late. Mass extinction for the dragons was near if they don't do something. **

"**Jeanne, we must fight no matter what. If we lose, Spyro's efforts will be in vain. Get the dragon eggs to a safe location and hide until all is over," Terrador commanded.**

"**But the escape tunnels are filled with skeleton pawns. The only way to escape is to fly," she said.**

"**Then fly if it takes you to somewhere safe. Jeanne, do not return until to Warfang until everything is over. We're counting on you," Terrador said.**

**Jeanne hesitated but finally she nodded and went to retrieve the dragon eggs. The undead skeletons were scaling walls without any means of a ladder or ropes. They easily swarmed the ramparts and overwhelmed the defense cannons. The city hadn't had time to recover and now they were being attacked again. The undead were determined in wiping out the dragons though Terrador doubted they knew why they did so. **

"**By the ancestors and gods, at least spare the dragon eggs," Terrador pleaded down in his heart.**

**He saw Jeanne flew out of Cyril's study room window with a sack in her paws and Terrador knew that she had the eggs with her. Relieved that the undead weren't able to attack her, he proceeded to fighting off the skeleton pawns. As Jeanne flew in the sky, she was happy that no riders came after her. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her head.**

"**Head for the Black Isles at the Shining Ocean. Stay there until I tell you it's safe to return," the voice told her.**

**Jeanne wasn't sure whether to listen to the voice or not but she nodded and did what the voice told her to do anyway. For some reason, that voice sounded like Ignitus' voice.**

"**It couldn't be…he's already dead," she said to herself.**

**The forest green dragon shook her head and didn't give it another thought. After an hour of smooth flight, she was flying over the Shining Oceans. It was named so because the water seemed to shine no matter day or night. It was mid-noon and the ocean water was light blue in color and crystal clear. She spotted a cluster of islands that sported tropical trees and a tall mountain that rose from the ocean floors. The Black Isles were in sight. She also spotted an undead fleet not far from the island and they seemed to be heading for the Eastern Continent. Fearing she would be spotted, Jeanne quickly landed on the largest island and hid among the trees, her natural forest green camouflage added to her protection from being spotted. She waited for the fleet to pass by but one ship turned towards the island.**

"**Uh oh," she muttered.**

**The ship stopped off shore and released 5 boats, each carrying 10 undead soldiers. They went ashore and the dragon heard the leader yelling orders.**

"**I saw that dragon and I want that dragon dead before we move on! Don't bother leaving until that reptile is dead!" the leader shouted.**

**Jeanne stayed still as they entered the forest. It was hard to spot her because she was so still and her color blended well with the forest surrounding. One of them stared at her direction and scratched his skull. He thought he saw something but he wasn't sure. When came to take a closer look, Jeanne ambushed the skeleton and broke it into pieces before he could let out a warning. However, the leaves rustled when she moved.**

"**Hmm, what was that?" one of them asked his companions. **

**They halted and looked around them for any signs of a dragon but they still saw nothing. Jeanne found a blood fruit that contained juices that resemble blood. She threw it into a nearby bush, hoping to distract them. They all heard it and threw spears towards the direction of the sound. One spear hit the fruit and its juices spilled out. Thinking they killed the dragon, the skeleton warriors did not bother to check what they've just hit and they went back to the beach.**

"**Well, have you killed the dragon?" the leader asked.**

"**We all saw blood spill out from behind a bush. We've got that dragon alright," one skeleton soldier said.**

**The leader nodded in satisfaction.**

"**Get on the boat, we're gonna help our mindless brethren in wiping out the dragon race once and for all," the leader said.**

**As the ship left to join the fleet once more, Jeanne let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know she had been holding her breath for so long. She was careful not to create any attention so she limited her movement as much as possible until the fleet is far away. She looked into the sack of eggs and smiled warmly. She felt like she was caring after her own children.**

"**Don't worry, I'll take care of all of you," she said warmly.**

**She made a simple nest and sat on the eggs, keeping them warm. Back at the Epicenter, things were just heating up as more and more Nether creatures assaulted the team.**

"**Spyro, behind you!" Flame warned.**

**Spyro turned around and saw a fire sprite throwing hails of firebolts at him. Spyro dodged deftly and leapt onto the sprite. He blew ice at it and froze it solid before tossing it down into the ocean of lava.**

"**Thanks," Spyro said to Flame.**

"**Anytime, pal," Flame winked.**

**Hunter shot three arrows towards a hellhound and kicked it off the edge. One leapt at him but he was fast and that hellhound also got kicked off the edge. They didn't stay to finish the fight because the creatures kept on coming. They hopped from island to island, hoping to outrun them. When they reached on a particular island, there were no other islands to hop to except the island where the city stood. There was archway and riddle was written on it.**

"**I wait in line for my turn but it never reached me for I was not told to come forth. What am I supposed to be told?" Spyro read.**

"**What's the answer?!" Flame asked in panic.**

"**I don't know! It doesn't seem to make any sense!" Spyro said as he turned his head around.**

**The creatures were catching up quick and his teammates were fatigued.**

"**Um…move on?" Hunter suggested.**

"**No, no, it doesn't seem right," Spyro said thoughtfully.**

"**I know! It's 'next'!" exclaimed Ember.**

**Still nothing happened.**

"**Damn, why am I wasting my time answering riddles?!" Spyro yelled. He kicked the archway.**

"**It must be answered in our mother language," Morpheus said to Spyro.**

"**Okay, so what do you call 'next' in your mother language?" Spyro asked.**

"**Proxima!" Morpheus yelled.**

**Suddenly, stones came up from below and connected. It formed a bridge that connected to the main door of the city. They ran across the bridge and didn't turn back to engage the creatures.**

"**What does proxima means?" Ember asked.**

"**It means 'next'," Morpheus smiled. "That language was our mother tongue," Morpheus explained.**

**The creatures followed relentlessly but the team was faster than them. They reached to the gates but it refused to open. The turned around and saw another riddle written on the archway.**

"**I am the one who follows you around and do what you do. Yet you can't touch me and I am lifeless. What am I?" Spyro read.**

"**Bah, it's a shadow," Flame answered confidently.**

**Nothing happened.**

"**Hey, isn't it supposed to be a shadow?" Flame asked indignantly.**

"**It is but you need to answer it with my mother tongue," Morpheus said.**

"**What is it then?!" Ember panicked as the creatures got closer.**

"**Umbra!" Morpheus yelled out aloud.**

**Immediately, the bridge broke apart and all the creatures that followed them fell to their doom. The gates of the city opened up and let out a blast of chilling wind at them.**

"**I really must take the time to learn your mother tongue. I'm glad we had you on our side," Flame said to Morpheus.**

**Morpheus only smiled.**

"**C'mon, let's go in and say hi to the Netherlord and Kharnak," Spyro said.**

**They went in and the gates behind them slammed shut. They were close to their target but can they really succeed? Find out in the next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: A date with destiny**

**The halls of the underworld city were filled with images of demons and dead kings. This city was an evil twin of Trilith, a perversion of it. Morpheus was clearly uncomfortable and so were the rest of the team.**

"**This is creepy. Having Trilith destroyed is bad enough but a perversion of it is just too much for me to handle," Morpheus muttered.**

"**You're not the only one who is creeped out," Flame whispered.**

**Just as they passed the statue of Dresdner, they all heard a voice.**

"**This is Trilith Proxima, unholy city of the dead. I bid you welcome and perhaps you would like to stay here…forever," the voice said with an evil tone.**

"**Okay, no need for that," Flame said.**

**They found no resistance coming to face them at all and that made them even more suspicious. It must mean that they were being expected.**

"**Spyro, this will be the last and most important stage of the battle. Should you lose to Kharnak and the Netherlord, all will be lost," Ember said to Spyro.**

"**I know my duty," Spyro replied grimly.**

**They entered a great hall that seemed to have no other visible entrances. Just as they were figuring things out, the door behind them closed shut and turned into stone.**

"**That's not good," Flame said nervously.**

**At the middle of the great hall stood the Netherlord. He wore a robe of darkness and a crown of spikes with a central black jewel. He had a body of a skeleton and a deformed skull. His grin revealed a row of sharp teeth.**

"**Your arrival is most expected, Spyro and friends," the demon said.**

**Morpheus squinted his eyes at the demon and cocked his head quizzically.**

"**Are you…the Netherlord? Are you Emperor Dresdner in the past?" he asked.**

**The demon grinned evilly and nodded slowly.**

"**Baron Salvador must have told you that. Yes, I am Emperor Dresdner in the past and Netherlord in the present. Morpheus, you were always my best bodyguard but why do you join those whelps?" Dresdner asked.**

"**I joined them along with my fellow rebel brethren because we fight for what is right. The dragons are not our enemies," Morpheus said.**

"**On the contrary, dragons are our ultimate enemy. Look at the past, Morpheus. During the First Age, our race has already been at war with them right until now. I cannot forget Titan, that first purple dragon," Dresdner said angrily.**

"**Wait, you mean-" Spyro started.**

"**Ah ha, you're quick, Spyro. Yes, I am the same person who held the throne of humanity all along. I am an undead from the very start. I have many names but one name is most ultimate," Dresdner said with a dark and evil grin.**

**He shape-shifted and turned into a demonic centaur which the team feared the most.**

"**I am Emperor Dresdner, the Netherlord and Kharnak. We are one and we rule the world according to our view," the centaur said in multiple voices. **

"**You waged the war in the heavens and killed Hyperion?" Spyro asked some more.**

"**Yes, I am the one who usurped heaven's Throne of Dawn and I was the one who put Hyperion by the sword. For eons I have planned this and 500 years ago, I succeeded in making Malefor do my bidding on the earth while I wage my war in the heavens. My purpose is clear: To rule the heavens and turn the world into a desolate wasteland. I shall reach out to other planets and do the same cycle again if needed. I need no worshippers for I am power and destruction made manifest. I am Kharnak, the God of Destruction!" Kharnak roared.**

**The whole place began to rumble and the whole city fell apart and revealed a large floating island with an arena. They were in the middle of it and around them were evil souls in the form of black mists, swirling around the arena.**

"**You may think you have the power to stop me but how can you expect to defeat a god when you are nothing but a mortal. Purple dragons hold great power but they are still mortal physically. I have all this planned out when the world was formed and you can call this destiny. This world will be according to my vision, not yours," Kharnak said as he pointed at Spyro with a bloody finger.**

**Spyro growled at Kharnak but he just stared at Spyro with his red eyes.**

"**I will not let you turn my world into a wasteland. Kharnak, by Titan's power I will destroy you!" Spyro roared.**

"**Come then, show me what you've got," Kharnak said as he made the 'bring it on' sign.**

**Spyro's paws glowed electric blue as he got ready for another Death Bringer attack. He leapt but again, he was repelled.**

"**Have I not told you that my vassal is protecting me from harm? If you do not kill him, you can't hurt me," Kharnak said.**

**He showed Spyro a vision of what was happening on the surface. Billions of mindless undead were attacking dragon cities and lands, hell bent on eradicating them all. They were relentless and they came at the dragons no matter what. Their population dwindled and was close to extinction. Even other races were not spared.**

"**So…the reason to eradicate dragons because Malefor destroyed us all was just an excuse to create death and destruction. You used us as your tools of war," Morpheus said.**

"**Yes. There was never such a reason to destroy dragons. All were thoughts instilled into your fragile minds and put you all under my influence. Isn't it fun to see two races trying to slaughter each other?" Kharnak asked sarcastically.**

"**You sadistic centaur," Morpheus hissed indignantly.**

"**Spyro, me and Ember will head to the surface to find his vassal and we think we know who he is," Flame said.**

"**We do? I mean, we do," Ember said with a small nod.**

"**Flame, don't. You'll get yourself killed," Spyro said.**

"**No, I won't. For the good of this world, I'm willing to do what is best for my buddy," Flame said smilingly.**

**He held up a knuckled paw and looked at Spyro.**

"**Friends forever?" Flame asked.**

**Spyro looked at the knuckled paw and nodded his head reluctantly.**

"**Friends forever," he replied emotionally. **

**Ember hugged Spyro and stole a kiss. Spyro turned crimson as her lips touched his.**

"**Take care, Spyro," she said before taking off to the skies with Flame.**

**Now, it was Spyro, Morpheus and Hunter versus Kharnak.**

"**Spyro, no matter what happens, I'm glad I was able to help," Hunter said.**

"**Likewise," Morpheus replied.**

**Spyro gave a determined smile and went into a ready stance.**

"**Thanks guys, I will not forget this moment. Kharnak, prepare yourself!" Spyro roared loudly and charged with Hunter and Morpheus by his sides.**

**On the surface, Warfang was being torn apart and many moles and dragons died defending it. The cheetah warriors had to return to Avalar to defend their land and the dragons do not have anymore reinforcements.**

"**Spyro, why have you forsaken us?" Terrador asked as a tear fell from his eyes.**

**It was the first time he ever shed tears. He didn't like it but Terrador couldn't help it as the situation was completely hopeless. Valcor's teammates were falling one by one until one hot-headed dragon, Kai, was left. He was fuming as his girlfriend, Priscilla, was killed.**

"**You'll pay for your actions, bone heads!" he yelled as he swung his sword at the skeleton pawns and breathed fire at them.**

**Volteer was in the skies, not sure what to do. He has run out of energy and if he went down, they'll surely swarm him.**

"**Terrador, Warfang is lost! Go to somewhere safe! Get the survivors out of here and head for a safe place!" Volteer yelled.**

**Terrador nodded and flew up to the skies.**

"**Survivors of Warfang, head for the Black Isles now!" Terrador yelled at the top of his voice. **

**He dragon warriors obliged and took to the skies. Though weary, they were not about to give up until they reached the Black Isles. The skeletons saw the dragons going away and they followed them by the thousands. They were not letting them go so easily.**

"**What does it really take to destroy them?! They are worse than Malefor's minions!" Kai yelled.**

"**A miracle," Terrador said to himself.**

**The world was in bad condition. The dark aura now covered the planet and only a few spots of light from the sun penetrated through the aura. Lightning flashed and thunder clashed in rapid succession. This world was going to waste and so will everyone else. Now it occurred to Terrador that the undead were fighting not for vengeance anymore. **

"**Volteer, this isn't right. The whole world is going to waste and I don't think they're out for vengeance anymore," Terrador said to Volteer.**

**The yellow dragon nodded but kept his mouth shut. He was too tired to talk and he certainly wasn't in the mood for a friendly chat either.**

"**Kai, could you scout ahead and see if the way to Black Isles is clear? We don't ant to run into the undead fleet," Terrador said.**

**Kai saluted and flew past him. The way seems clear and no enemy was in sight so he gave the all clear signal to the rest of the surviving dragons. Just as he turned round, he saw Baron Salvador riding an undead phoenix, charging towards Kai with a brandished lightning sword.**

"**Die, dragon!" he yelled.**

**Kai quickly reacted by parrying the charge attack but the force of the charge was so strong that it knocked him off balance and he plunged to the ground. Kai was lucky to escape before the undead on the ground could swarm him. He, however, suffered a broken arm and a fractured rib.**

"**Come on already, why won't you give us a break?!" Kai yelled to Salvador.**

"**Because this curse is bugging us as well. If we all die, then we're even," Salvador said coldly.**

"**Why won't you destroy the Netherlord?" Kai asked, hoping to persuade the baron to change his mind.**

"**Alas, I maybe undead but he is an immortal and a god. How can you expect us to kill him when we can't even hurt him?" Salvador remarked angrily.**

"**So you knew about the Netherlord?" asked a surprised Kai.**

"**Yes, me and my men knew. He was Emperor Dresdner, the Netherlord, emperors of the past and the God of Destruction. He is strong and we were forced to do his bidding. Some of us tried to attack him but they all failed," Salvador said sadly.**

"**Why didn't you tell us? We can help you in your problem. Rather than kill us all, why not just go after Kharnak?" Kai asked.**

"**You, help us? Don't make me laugh. We were sworn enemies and will always stay that way until the end of time," said Salvador.**

"**No, we're not. We may have our differences and our past maybe a bad one but surely there are times when we could live side by side," Kai persuaded.**

"**That is true but I'm still going to wipe you all out. Do you know why? It's because I hate dragons," Salvador growled.**

**Salvador charged again and the two fighters clashed in the sky. Terrador and the others tried to help but Kai waved them away.**

"**I'll deal with him!" he yelled.**

**Terrador didn't want to leave the young dragon to fight alone but since he insisted, Terrador nodded and flew off to the Black Isles.**

"**I'll enjoy ripping your throat out," Kai snarled.**

"**You can take it. I don't need it anyway," Salvador said sarcastically.**

**Back in the underworld, the fight heated up as the three assaulted the God of Destruction. Kharnak had a protective aura that prevented him from being harmed. **

"**Face it, you can't hurt me," Kharnak said and he hit the ground and released a black shockwave that hurtled towards the three. **

**They dodged and retaliated, hoping to keep Kharnak busy. Spyro wanted to head butt Kharnak but he was hit back and something slipped from his pack: the book of necromancy.**

"**Where did you get that?!" Kharnak suddenly growled with anger.**

"**I found it somewhere," Spyro said while grabbing the book.**

"**Give me that book, dragon!" Kharnak roared.**

"**Over my dead body!" Spyro roared back.**

**Kharnak seemed agitated and Spyro didn't know why but the book seemed important to him. It must hold some of Kharnak's powers.**

"**Very well, I know what to do with this book," Spyro said.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Spilt Blood**

**Spyro had a dagger with him and he took it out before pointing it at the book. Kharnak stopped in his tracks.**

"**You wouldn't dare," Kharnak growled.**

"**Try me," Spyro shot back.**

**He raised the dagger and poised to strike the book if Kharnak dared come close. There was something in this book that seemed rather important to Kharnak and Spyro wanted to see if it is really true.**

"**Tell me, what is so important in this book?" Hunter asked.**

"**Until the end of time, I will not tell you," Kharnak replied.**

"**Then maybe we should cut it and see since you couldn't care less," Spyro threatened.**

**Spyro decided to strike the book but Morpheus stopped him.**

"**No, don't strike it yet. I want some answers from Kharnak. Be wary though, it might be a trick as Kharnak is deceptive from what I've heard from people who have close encounters with him," Morpheus whispered.**

**Morpheus stood up walked towards Kharnak.**

"**So, are we really tools to do your bidding?" Morpheus asked.**

"**Foolish human, you know very well that all of this has been my plan all along. What good is it in this world if one cannot fight?" Kharnak growled angrily.**

"**We fight for good, not for evil means or for sport. I've never believed in deities but your very existence makes me want to believe that we were forsaken by whatever god is up there," Morpheus said.**

"**Your prayers weren't answered because I killed the gods of good," Kharnak smiled evilly.**

**Morpheus punched Kharnak in the face in anger. Though it didn't hurt, it infuriated Kharnak.**

"**Spyro, get rid of that book," Morpheus said.**

**Spyro nodded and struck down but suddenly, he dropped his knife and only his hand hit the book.**

"**Spyro, are you okay?" Hunter asked.**

**Spyro heard a voice in his head. It was telling him something. It sounded sweet…yet melancholic at the same time.**

"**Spyro, why do you intend to hurt me?" a feminine voice spoke.**

"**W-Who are you?" Spyro asked.**

"**I am the book of necromancy, a book that grants life to the dead and death to the living. Spyro my dear, you have been entrusted to keep me but you kept me hidden. You have lost loved ones so why not use me to bring them back to life?" the voice asked, as if in a concerned way.**

"**I can't because you are evil," Spyro answered.**

"**But not all evil are entirely evil. Don't hide from me Spyro, you have a certain lost one in your heart that you want back into the realm of the living," the voice said.**

**Spyro was tempted but he kept his mouth shut. He was thinking about Cyril but instead, a vision of Cynder dying from blood loss and Valcor failing to revive her was shown to him. His pupils shrunk at this vision.**

"**No…it's not true," he shook his head.**

"**But it is. Her soul is crying out for you and you love her so much that you are willing to do something to bring her back," the voice said in fake sympathy.**

"**Spyro, why did you forsake me?!" he heard Cynder's voice cry out.**

**Spyro couldn't believe his ears and he was tempted to open the book but Hunter held it down.**

"**Spyro, whatever you heard must not be followed," Hunter said.**

"**Don't. Stop. Me. Hunter," Spyro said in a slow growl.**

**He opened the book and darkness infused into him. Kharnak laughed evilly at this as Spyro was engulfed by a dark aura.**

"**I know what you wanted and so does the book. You fool, you have released my fragment soul in the book and now I am whole again! You are my pawn!" Kharnak laughed evilly.**

**Spyro's dark side took over and he stared at Hunter and Morpheus menacingly.**

"**Spyro, I told you not the open the book," Hunter said in dismay.**

"**Titan's 'Anointed One' has much weaker will power than I expected. So easily tempted and so very naïve," Kharnak said.**

"**Spyro, snap out of it!" Morpheus yelled.**

**Kharnak grinned evilly and patted Spyro's head.**

"**Truth is my vassal was my fragment soul that resides in that book. It was the one that shielded me from harm. Those foolish young dragons who flew off were fools to think that Salvador was my vassal," Kharnak said.**

"**Damn it, I never expected that centaur to be so deceptive. He seems to always second guess our thoughts," thought Hunter.**

"**Should Spyro have struck the book, the effects would have been devastating. Luckily my fragment soul did a good job of manipulating his mind. Death Bringer or not, Spyro is mine," Kharnak grinned evilly.**

**Morpheus wasn't sure of what to do since Kharnak was impervious to attacks. The only way to hurt him is to have someone with dark powers hurt him.**

"**Wait, I have an idea," Morpheus whispered to Hunter.**

"**Speak up then," Hunter said.**

"**I'm not sure if my hypothesis is correct but I think that Spyro can hurt him. If we can incite Spyro to attack us, we'll dodge his attacks and he'll accidentally hit Kharnak," Morpheus said softly.**

**Hunter scratched his furry chin and nodded.**

"**A crazy plan but it might just work…provided Kharnak doesn't interfere," Hunter remarked.**

"**I've noticed Spyro's leap attacks are rather powerful and far so we can keep a safe distance from Kharnak," Morpheus said.**

**The two got ready and brandished their weapons.**

"**Hey Spyro, come get us," Hunter called out.**

**It was simple but it worked. Spyro attacked them relentlessly and they were skillful in dodging the attacks. On the surface and in the skies, Kai's battle with Salvador ended with defeat for the dragon. He fell off the skies and was mortally wounded. **

"**Just make my death quick and painless," he said softly and he closed his eyes, preparing for his demise.**

**However, he felt nothing and as time went by, he still breathed. He opened his eyes slightly and saw that the skeleton pawns walked past him, not even bothering to attack him.**

"**Hey, what's the idea?" he asked in surprise.**

**He looked up in the sky and saw Baron Salvador staring at him.**

"**I may hate dragons but you are too much of a worthy fighter to be dead. I'll let you live," Salvador said.**

"**Wait, does that mean you're going to attack the Netherlord?" Kai asked.**

"**Something tells me to and as a professional warrior, I have learned to trust my conscience. Since there is an alternate way to free ourselves from the curse, I'll go with that. At least I won't have to see dragons in human heavens anymore," said the man.**

**He left without another word and Kai sat there as he watched the skeletons march by.**

"**That still doesn't make sense," he said to himself.**

**Kai took to the skies and headed for Black Isles. When he reached there, he was glad that the dragons were safe. Some of the moles were shaken but alive nonetheless. **

"**By the ancestors, you're alive," Volteer said smilingly.**

"**That is because Salvador let me go and for some reason, he decided to turn against the Netherlord," Kai explained.**

"**Well, that is certainly strange," Volteer muttered.**

"**It has to be a divine intervention. Salvador was known for his brutality against dragons and he would never let one go. I dare bet my life that a celestial dragon god has helped us," Terrador said.**

"**I'm not a believer myself but somehow I feel that what you say maybe true," Kai said as he turned to face the surviving dragons.**

**He looked around and then back to Terrador.**

"**So, what do we do now?" Kai asked.**

"**Do? All we can do now is wait and hope that Spyro has defeated the Netherlord. The fate of us all rest in his paws," Terrador said and he looked at the sky.**

**A small ray of sunlight penetrated through a hole in the aura.**

"**In the darkness, there is always light," Terrador said softly.**

**In the depths of the underworld, the deadly game of chase was nothing but danger to the two. Spyro had leapt at them multiple times but none of those attacks hit Kharnak as he always stops short of hitting the demon centaur.**

"**This isn't working," Hunter said as Spyro leapt at him.**

**He knocked Spyro away and rebounded.**

"**Well…try harder!" Morpheus yelled.**

**Spyro leapt at Hunter again but Hunter dodged and pushed Spyro towards Kharnak. By luck, Spyro's claws hit Kharnak and broke the shield that protected Kharnak. Morpheus shot Kharnak with his rifle and Kharnak yelled in pain.**

"**It worked," said a surprised Morpheus.**

**The shield regenerated and they had to use the same move over again to break Kharnak's protection.**

"**Stand still!" Dark Spyro growled.**

**Hunter kicked Spyro towards Kharnak but this time, Kharnak grabbed Spyro and flung him aside.**

"**Bah, you guys are getting on my nerves. I'll kill you two myself before I deal with that purple dragon," he said angrily.**

**He pounded the ground and sent the two warriors hurtling towards the edge of the arena. The two hit into the walls and got hurt. Kharnak then did a pulling gesture and pulled the two towards him with an invisible force. The centaur gave the two a shield bash as they got close.**

"**You've figured out my weakness so I'm going to eradicate you here and now," Kharnak said as he walked towards Morpheus.**

**He brought down his sword at Morpheus but the man blocked the attack with his sword. Kharnak was stronger and he pushed down Morpheus. Their swords cracked but they kept pushing at each other. Just as Morpheus' sword splintered, he quickly rolled away before Kharnak's sword could hit him. Hunter was attacked by Spyro but he prefers to avoid the dragon rather than fight him.**

"**Spyro, you're the dragon of destiny and you do not serve the dark side," Hunter persuaded.**

"**Yes, I serve the dark side and there is nothing you can do about it," Spyro growled as he swiped his claws at Hunter.**

"**Think about Cynder! She wanted you to be with her and if you turn to the dark side, you are forsaking her!" Hunter cried out.**

"**She's already dead!" Spyro roared. "And don't you dare mention her name!"**

**Hunter slid backwards as Spyro landed a kick on his face. Spyro leapt into the air and tried to stab down on hunter when someone blocked him. Turning to see who it was he saw a bloody Valcor and Cynder. Spyro had hit Valcor's sword.**

"**She's not dead," Valcor panted.**

"**Spyro, you pulled me out of trouble and now it's my turn to return you the favor that I owe," Cynder said.**

"**How did you-" Hunter wanted to ask Valcor on how he got here but Valcor hushed him.**

"**Later," Valcor said.**

"**So, more whelps have arrived to challenge me. Good, I was expecting a challenge," Kharnak said.**

"**Your time is up, Kharnak. I'll make sure that you are gone once and for all," Valcor said as he pointed at Kharnak.**

"**How exactly are you going to do that when that savior of yours is under my control?" Kharnak said with a small laugh.**

**Cynder went close to Spyro and in a quick move she locked her lips to hers and gave Spyro a passionate kiss. She never gave Spyro such a passionate one before and she seemed to enjoy it, though she can't help blush until her face became beet red.**

"**How is that lip locking going to help?" Kharnak mocked.**

**Spyro's dark aura slowly dissipated and he slowly closed his eyes. The darkness drained from him and Spyro returned to normal. After a minute or so, Cynder and Spyro let go of their lips and Cynder looked at Spyro sympathetically. **

"**Spyro, don't forsake me," she said with tears in her eyes.**

"**No, I will never," said Spyro, nearly on the verge of crying.**

**The two nuzzled each other and the three fighters looked on with smile on their faces. They were glad that the two made such a perfect pair.**

"**Bah, you may have returned him to normal but I still can beat you," Kharnak said.**

**Spyro turned to scowl at Kharnak.**

"**You have infused me with some kind of power to break your shield since I freed that vassal of yours. Don't forget that I have two more times of Death Bringer and I'm going to use them on you without fail," Spyro growled.**

"**Oh yeah, come get me then," he taunted Spyro.**

"**Cynder, are we in this together?" Spyro asked Cynder.**

"**Spyro, I will be with you until the die I die," Cynder assured Spyro and smiled at him.**

"**Spyro, we will fight alongside you," Valcor said.**

"**It's five against one, Kharnak. Prepare to die," Spyro said in determination.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The New Age**

**Spyro and Cynder attacked first. Spyro broke Kharnak's protective aura while Cynder clawed at Kharnak. Hunter and Morpheus used ranged weapons to hurt Kharnak while Valcor helped the dragons in their battle. While they put up a good fight, Kharnak was very strong and they couldn't deal damages to him easily.**

"**I'm not going down that easily!" Kharnak snarled angrily.**

**Valcor launched a fireball attack at Kharnak. Kharnak grabbed the fireball and threw it back at the dragon, which he deftly dodged. Spyro tried ambushing Kharnak from behind but he used his hind legs to kick Spyro away like a ball. It nearly broke one of his horns but it held. Spyro rebounded and Cynder gave him a boost towards Kharnak. He got onto Kharnak's back and bit on the centaur's neck. Kharnak yelled in pain and tried to grab Spyro but he hung on so tight to Kharnak that it hurts him just to remove Spyro. Valcor punched Kharnak and sent him sprawling head over heels.**

"**That is for the Dragon Temple!" Valcor snarled.**

**Before Kharnak could get up, Valcor pounced on Kharnak and punched his jaw.**

"**That is for Warfang!" he continued in an angrier voice.**

**Spyro came towards Kharnak and punched the right side of his face.**

"**That is for Cynder," Spyro said angrily.**

**Kharnak kicked them away and charged at them with his shield up. The others dodged his charge but Morpheus didn't dodge in time and he got bashed into a wall. It crushed him so hard that blood flowed from his mouth. When Kharnak backed off, Morpheus slumped to the ground.**

"**Who's next?" Kharnak growled and he looked at Hunter.**

"**Uh oh," Hunter muttered.**

**Kharnak charged again and Hunter was bashed, rolling head over heels until he hit into a wall. Kharnak proceeded to attack the others but they could fly and his charge attacks were useless against him.**

"**Spyro, remember the spin technique we learned at the Dragon Temple?" Cynder asked.**

"**Why would I forget?" Spyro grinned.**

**The two rose up into the air, holding each other in the paws.**

"**Horn Drill Spinneret!" the two said together.**

**The two spun downwards towards Kharnak at top speed with their horns pointing at the centaur. They hit him and made a puncture wound in his back. They disengaged and landed on the ground at the same time.**

"**Very nice but that attack is nothing to me," Kharnak grinned evilly.**

**He tensed and summoned rocks from the ground. With a 360 degrees swing from his sword, he sent them flying everywhere. Spyro and Cynder dodged them deftly while Valcor blocked them with his wings. The two retaliated by flying in circles around him and firing breath attacks towards Kharnak. Kharnak slammed the ground with his fist and sent spikes shooting up from the ground. The two dragons were knocked from the sky and they fell to the ground. Kharnak threw another shockwave at Spyro and Cynder but Morpheus got up just in time and absorbed the attack with his sword. He returned the attack with a swing of his sword but Kharnak dodged it.**

**Kharnak intended to punch Morpheus but he grabbed Kharnak's knuckles and held there in a deadlock. Using his free hand, Morpheus unslung his rifle and fired a point blank shot at Kharnak. The shot went right through his stomach and out from the back. Kharnak's strength weakened a bit and Morpheus had the leverage. He gave Kharnak a kick and shoulder bashed Kharnak. Spyro and Cynder took this chance to attack him and attacked his back.**

"**Enough!" Kharnak yelled.**

**He tensed and sent a powerful circular shockwave out from his body, knocking everyone backwards. He raised his hand to the sky and made a pulling gesture. Immediately, hails of fiery meteors fell and impacted the place. They got hit badly. Without even letting them recover, Kharnak punched into the air and an earthen fist erupted from the ground, hitting everyone.**

"**I am the God of Destruction and I will not have anyone get the better of me, especially mortal whelps like you! No one will get in my way of ruining this world! No one survives" he roared angrily.**

"**Kharnak!" a voice called out.**

**Kharnak saw someone standing on the west bleachers of the arena. It was Salvador and he didn't seem happy.**

"**So, my pawn has some business to attend to," Kharnak said.**

"**I was wondering that something fishy is going on when you told us to attack other races. I have already suspected something wrong about the Netherlord right. You are disguised as the Netherlord," Salvador said.**

"**I don't know who told you that but you're right. I am the one disguised as the Netherlord. I was surprised on how stupid you mortals can be," Kharnak mocked.**

"**Stupid? I was expecting a better word from you but alas, you are no different from us," Salvador mocked back.**

"**What do you mean by that?" Kharnak growled softly.**

"**I mean that you are a fool and you think that all humans never suspected who you are. I didn't know at first but as time passes, I came to realize that I was serving a demon," Salvador said.**

"**And that was what, an hour ago?" Kharnak asked rhetorically.**

"**So what if it is? Now that I've known your identity, I'm going to kill you. I may hate dragons but I hate demons more than I hate these reptiles," Salvador growled.**

"**Salvador…" Morpheus said weakly.**

"**Morpheus, I'm not sorry for what I did to you but I'm not very happy that I hurt a friend. I will join this fight alongside you," Salvador said.**

**Salvador leapt into the arena.**

"**Come, let's fight," he said.**

**They continued the fight with more vigor and fought bravely. However, Kharnak seemed to get stronger with every damage he took. They fought and fought like hell and sparks from the clashing swords spewed everywhere. Sometimes, each sword clash was so powerful that it knocked them back. **

"**Spyro, we cannot continue like this. Our people on the surface....they are being slaughtered. We must hurry," Cynder pleaded to Spyro.**

**Spyro nodded and used Death Bringer on Kharnak. It worked this time and Spyro tore out a massive fragment of Kharnak's soul form his body. It weakened Kharnak badly but it also had an effect on Spyro. He felt darkness engulf his heart and he has one last use before darkness engulfs him.**

"**You wouldn't dare," Kharnak growled weakly.**

"**Tell that to someone who cares," Spyro said darkly and tore out the remaining soul from Kharnak. **

**Now, the centaur was lifeless and his dead hulk fell to the ground. Every immortal has an inner soul called True Life and if they are destroyed, even immortals die. Kharnak is soulless and he is dead. However, Spyro has corrupted his soul with that power and he has crossed over to darkness. But…only a miracle can save.**

**10 years later…**

"**Spyro, look at this view," Cynder said to Spyro.**

"**Yes, it sure is beautiful," Spyro replied.**

**They stood on a cliff that gave a great view of the setting sun and it was the dawn of a new age and they are the rulers of Dragon Realms. Spyro has grown bigger and he was more muscular. Cynder on the other hand was more slender and beautiful. She wore a tiara of diamond and gold while Spyro wore the Necklace of Eternal Dawn.**

"**Cynder, this sunset reminds me of the day when you saved me from going to the dark side. I was completely engulfed…until you reached out to me. This view reminded me of that when we got out from the Epicenter," Spyro said as he held Cynder's paw.**

"**It was the least I could do," Cynder smiled warmly.**

"**We have ushered in a new era and the humans can all rest in pace after Kharnak's destruction. I can never forget Morpheus and the things he did to help us," Spyro remembered.**

**Terrador and Volteer came up to the two and sat beside them, admiring the sunset together.**

"**I hope we're not disturbing your privacy," Volteer said quickly.**

"**No, not at all," Cynder said.**

"**It has been a while since we enjoyed the sunset and this one is just mesmerizing," Volteer said as he looked at the distance.**

"**Spyro, what are your orders?" asked Terrador politely.**

"**I have none so let us all enjoy the sun for a while," Spyro said.**

**Suddenly, they heard something behind them. They saw a blue spirit materialize and Spyro was happy to see that spirit.**

"**Morpheus!" he said happily.**

"**Blessed are you, Spyro the Dragon. You have chosen to usher in an era of peace and this is your reward," Morpheus said in a hollow yet benevolent voice.**

"**I couldn't have done it without you and your fellow human friends," Spyro said.**

**The spirit laughed and shot a blue ray into the sky. It became fireworks as today was the Year of the Dragon.**

"**Cynder, you are expecting, right?" Morpheus asked.**

"**Yes," Cynder said softly as she rubbed her belly. It was bulging, a clear sign that she was pregnant.**

"**Then this display is for you. Titan has asked me to give you blessings and your brood will continue your dynasty until the end of time. Your family shall reign," Morpheus said before becoming a blue ray and shot towards the sky like a meteor streak. **

**Terrador gave a small chuckle and looked at the fireworks display.**

"**That was a short blessing," he said.**

"**Meaningful nonetheless," Spyro said.**

**Below the cliff was a rebuilt Warfang and it looked more industrialized and modern with creatures of different species living together in harmony. The humans maybe no more but Morpheus' legacy lived on and his statue is erected as a memorial. Sparx was enjoying a comfortable royal life since his adopted brother had risen to royalty.**

"**Come on, give me some of that butterfly," he said to a dragonfly maid.**

**He was served with a colorful butterfly and he gulped it down in one bite.**

"**Oh yeah, that hit the right spot," he said.**

**Sparx rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes.**

"**Ah, now this is the life I've been yearning for. Oh Venomtooth, could you get me more of those colorful butterflies? I can't seem to get enough of them," he said while tinkling a bell.**

**The ape in maid uniform grumbled and went to the kitchen. Sparx grinned gleefully because he was able to make the apes do his bidding instead of them bullying him. He took a sip of bug juice and laid back.**

"**I'm sure you readers will be wondering where I am all this while. Well, let me give you my story. There I was, surrounded by a group of skeletons. They thought they can beat me but I showed them. I gave them a left, then a right, then a good coup de grace! However, one cornered me and tried to cut me but I was too much for him! I gave him a pound in the jaw and I turned him into bones! Oh yes, the battle in my dreams was an epic one," Sparx said gleefully.**

"**Oh stop talking to yourself. You were hiding in Warfang throughout the entire time and you didn't bother with anything except sleeping," Venomtooth grumbled.**

"**I didn't ask you to clarify things for me," Sparx said.**

"**I wasn't born to serve an insect like you," Venomtooth argued.**

"**Okay, now you're just making me mad," Sparx said with his arms crossed.**

"**So what if I am? You can't hurt me," Venomtooth said as he loomed over Sparx.**

**Sparx backed down a little.**

"**Um, I think I heard Spyro calling me. Gotta go," said Sparx and he quickly escaped.**

**Venomtooth gave a snort and looked around him. Since he was in the royal bedroom and his master and mistress weren't back yet…**

"**Whoopee!" he cried out happily as he leapt onto the royal bed.**

**He took of the maid outfit and switched to a more elegant rich man's outfit and he put an antique pipe in his mouth. He then laid back onto the pillow and pretended to smoke on the pipe.**

"**Even apes need a life," he said with a raised eyebrow.**

**Ignitus closed the book he was reading and smiled as he watched the two dragons having a good time with each other and interacting happily with everyone else.**

"**Darkness and Light are finally balanced. Spyro, you have taken your step and this is the Fourth Age of Dragons. The new age has begun and your life as a true dragon of destiny has just begun," Ignitus said.**

Okay, so it's a little quick but there will be a sequel where they will embark on new adventures. Humans will be given a chance to rise again and live side-by-side with the dragons. I promise a longer story and of course, more wackiness from Sparx and Venomtooth. Note that do not own any of the Spyro characters but I do own the human race! The next time the humans rise to power again, it will be an equivalent to our modern age. Like what Ignitus said: The new age has begun .


End file.
